#like I know it's terrible but when I got to the reveal that Elise was Misty | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gojixyz69 · 10 months

Text

WHY DEATH BATTLE SHOULD DO Goku Black VS. Mephile (Dragon Ball VS. Sonic)

Now if you don't know I'm a fan of Death Battle it's one of my favorite online shows, today I'm going to explain why Death Battle should make this matchup into an episode, so let's get started.

1. But first I want to explain I personally want this matchup the most. It started last year when I saw Xeno Trunks VS. Archie Silver and how disagreed with the outcome since there were powerscalers that explained and showed why Trunks should have won, whitch remainded me of Goku Black VS. Reverse Flash and how they did Goku Black, his analasys was preety bad and not meantion Goku Black should have won whitch I plan on explaining one day, but overall Death Battle didn't do Goku Black justice and I really wanted him to return, but then the question was how was going to face off against Black if he did return, there were good opponents but the problem is the fact that I was interested in most of them and I didn't know most of them there were opponents that I know and one of them was Scourge that I really liked but in the end I felt like there was a matcup that I really wanted but didn't know what it was, but then a few weeks ago I watch videos about Mephiles and Goku Black and then thought about how simillar they were and that's when I got the idea and realized that Goku Black VS. Mephiles was the matchup that I was looking for, it's a matchup with a lot of connections and it's one with both villains being one of if not my favorite in there respective series.

2. With that sead let's talk about the connections. Deities that take on the appearance of famous hero’s from their world(Goku and Shadow). Both aim to bring destruction to the mortal world. They both have destroyed the future and end up meeting the hero’s of the past and the one they copied through time travel. During the battle they both end up being sealed but they escape. They both reveal a terrible revelation to the hero they stole their appearance from ( Goku Black tells Goku he killed Chichi and Goten and Mephiles tells Shadow that the world will betray him again). They both work together with their other self to bring their plans to reality. They both are at odds with a time traveling hero(Trunks and Silver). Both have killed world famous heroes(Goku/Bulma/Sonic). They both fuse with their other self to become a monsterous force of nature bringing all types of calamity throughout space and time in the universe. They both are defeated by being erased from all space and time. They also have the ability to time travel and make clones of themselves. Both of their stories are convoluted.

3. And let's talk about the animation and music potential of this matchup. First the music potential has the potential to be one of the greatest tracks, both Goku Black and Mephiles have excellent themes, imagine incorporating both off these caracters' music that would be wonderful. As for amimation there's a lot to talk about, these two have a lot of powers and abilities and not to meantion they can time travel so we can them using it and as for the death if Mephiles wins he's would be just stabing Black like he did to Sonic in Sonic 06, as for Goku Black there are two ways one being he just destroy Mephiles using he's ki since Mephiles is vulnerable to light or the second one being Goku Black travels back in time to erase Mephiles by doing what Sonic and Elise did. And as for the banter they could just throw insults at each other or they could impressed by the other since they are both gods.

4. Now how would win? Now this is tricky because of Mephiles' imortallity, now from what I heared Mephiles can't die whitch is a problem for Death Battle obviosly, but from my reserch it's possible that Mephiles can die and not to meantion that Iblis died and Iblis is Mephiles' other half, so it's possible that Mephiles can die and that imortallity means he can live long. If that's the case then I think Goku Black would win because Mephiles is weak light beased attacka and Black's aresenale is light based and not to meantion Goku Black at most low multiversal and Mephiles wile powerful was guned down by Omega and Shadow match Mephiles in his base form alone.

So yeah overall this matchup should happen and I would love if Death Battle did it.

#death battle #sonic the hedgehog #dragon ball #mephiles the dark #goku black #matchups

1 note · View note

secretsofblackthornhall · 3 years

Text

From the diary of Tatiana Lightwood. December 27, 1873

I hate Will Herondale.

I HATE Will Herondale.

How could I have ever felt anything but loathing for him, with his ridiculous name and his infernal Welsh accent and his preposterous handsome face! Ugh! The horrid monster read my old diary, OUT LOUD at the Institute Christmas party. On the stage, in the ballroom. To the entire Enclave.

Every single entry where I’d written my name as Mrs. Tatiana Herondale. Every bit where I wrote poetry about his absurdly blue eyes, how I shudder now to recall it! How I wish Elise Penhallow had never stopped playing the spinet and given him an opening to start reading OUT LOUD. I wish she was still playing the spinet now and for the rest of eternity and that Will Herondale had been utterly drowned out by the racket.

The HUMILIATION, it is not to be borne. He is a MONSTER. Gideon just stood there like a lummox. Gabriel had the decency to attempt to defend my honor and got his arm broken, which was the least he could do, really.

I suppose it is better that I have discovered Will Herondale’s TRUE NATURE and EVIL INTENT now rather than later. But oh, couldn’t I have found it out in a different way? A whispered cruel comment—an act of brutishness at someone else’s expense—but no. The whole Enclave just standing there gaping at me and whispering, whispering.

Of course Father told me in the carriage on the way home that I had disgraced us all and the good name of Lightwood, too. Gabriel sulked for the entire journey, even though the healing runes must have taken away any pain he was in, so there was no need for him to be so peevish. None of this was about him. Gideon took my hand and said, “Don’t fret, Tati. Everyone will forget about this before you know it.” I looked out the window of the carriage and ignored him. What could he possibly understand about the injury that has been dealt to me? Nothing, for he is a lunkhead.

When we arrived at Chiswick I thought about burning the diary, for I could no longer stand the sight of the thing. Will ruined it. I went up to my room and ripped the pages from the spine, then tore each page to pieces. I looked at the fire, which had plenty of hot coals, but I could not bring myself to consign the remains of the diary to the flames, whether they had disgraced our family name or not. Those pages were full of my fascinating ruminations and ideas and observations—about the London Enclave, about my father’s heroic exploits, about the precise shape of Elise Penhallow’s nose and what it revealed about her terrible character—and I found I did not want to see those words curl and vanish into ash. Instead I stuffed the mutilated pages into my green silk purse and tiptoed down the corridor. I hid them in the old mousehole behind one of my father's paintings of demons doing peculiar things. (I don’t know why he collects them, but then I suppose I have not yet developed a taste for art.) I hurried back to my room and threw the spine and covers of the book into the fire.

I am starting over with a new diary in which I will not mention W.H. at all. Except now. This is the last time.

But I will make him pay. No matter how long I have to wait.

#secrets of blackthorn hall #sobh #Cassandra Jean

5K notes · View notes

thefallenangelsgang · 3 years

Text

1) Prepare For The Future

Falloutober prompt list + My Character List (for a refresher)

Happy Spooky Season Everyone!

“Please sit down Ms. Tricoli.” The balding Nuka-Cola representative gestures for me to sit. I oblige and unbutton my woolen overcoat at my waist. The man across the desk from me is familiar. His slightly offset nose suggests it was broken years ago. I’m sure Dad knew his name and the story behind the blemish. He liked knowing his team like that. There was always a case of brandy in the pantry to loosen up new hires and the crone of Frank Sinatra from the living room. They were always more like family to him than employees he was in charge of.

I’m terrible with names though and his desk is void of a nameplate. Or anything personal for that matter. He has definitely been here since before Dad died too. So what gives? Then he glances from his terminal to the window behind us that looks into the hallway. Something’s got him wound up and nervous. He’s acting like he’s being watched. There’s probably an upcoming layoff and he’s trying to prove his usefulness to the company while also preparing for the worst.

“Since your father was a respected employee here I, on behalf of the company, would like to extend a one-time offer. Full entrance into a vault for you and your sister.” He says as he fumbles around with a stack of papers looking for a file. I’m flabbergasted. I mean it’s not like we can’t afford it on our own. Elise and I received handsome inheritances in trust. Plus I have my dowry and Dad’s stocks and bonds. We’ve been set since before I was born.

“Are you sure? Of all the people I think we would be the least in need of help.” The panic on his face is real. He can’t mess this up. So this must have more to it. Nuka-Cola is receiving something for this deal. “I assure you this is not meant to be a slight. Just a gift from the company to your father. I’m sure he would want you girls safe in case anything were to happen.” He attempts a disarming smile but all it does is strengthen my assumption that this has more to it than what he’s letting on.

“I assume there is a contract I’ll be signing? Do you mind if I read it?” I extend a hand out for the paper. He opens the file and fishes it out before delicately placing it in my hand. Skimming through reveals what I assumed. This is a PR stunt linking the two mega corporations together. By signing, I agree to have my photo printed in the newspaper should one be taken and that Nuka-Cola has the ability to place me in a vault at their discretion. “Which vault would we be placed in?” I inquire, with my finger on the offending line.

“You live in Sanctuary Hills correct? Nice neighborhood. Me and my wife were eyeing it when it was first being developed. The announcement of the Vault put us off though. Construction work at all hours? No thank you! You’ll most likely be placed there.” He chuckles a bit but it’s robotic and clunky like he doesn’t mean it. I smile back unamused. I’m not someone to play around with. “Most likely or will? The next closest Vault would be in Malden which isn’t exactly right next door like Vault 111. I would like to know for sure in case something were to happen.”

That makes him blanch. He didn’t expect me to be so serious about this. Neither did I. But I don’t appreciate being toyed around with. “Precluding anything preventing its completion, you will be placed in Vault 111.”

“Thank you.”

#Falloutober 1 #Fallout 4 #Fallout #nuka cola #Falloutober #Fallout-ober #Fallout-tober #fallout new vegas #Fallout 3 #Prompt #List #Blaise Tricoli

4 notes · View notes

dirt-grub · 3 years

Note

Dan and or chris for the headcannon thingy?

OKAY ONCE MORE FROM THE TOP CAUSE TUMBLR ATE THE LAST ONE

ahem.

Headcanon A: what I think realistically

Dan had a shit childhood and shit parents, and isn’t dealing with any of the issues spawned by that, hence why his life is kind of a disaster and his functionality as an independent adult is uh. subpar.

Having grown up together and witnessed some of it secondhand, Chris knows not to bring it up too much with Dan. They both have an unspoken agreement and understanding not to approach certain topics with each other. They’re very good at reading each other, so Chris knows exactly how much he can actually get away with prodding Dan to act like a people for once, and vice versa Dan knows when to actually drop an argument when it gets into a serious place. Its incredibly weird for Elise to watch, and as incredibly close she is with Chris they have a very close bond that’s difficult for her to understand with how far back it goes. Also, in the beginning of Chris and Elise’s relationship, despite very vocally objecting to the entire thing when Chris was around, Dan begrudgingly gave Elise advice on how to speak Chris essentially, telling her what to avoid and what to talk about with him. He phrased it in a condescending way but we all know he was being a softie because he knows Elise makes Chris happy :,)

(also bonus every single roadtrip with all three of them ends up like this)

Headcanon B: what I think is fucking hilarious

Dan is always visibly covered in cat hair. Trust me I’ve had a black and white cat before and you just can’t win. Whatever color you wear SOME of the fur will ALWAYS show up on it. You can always tell where Dan has been you just follow the trail

Chris’ gap/chip/whatever in his front teeth were the result of some dare. Based on a story from my childhood where we all dared a kid on my bus to lick the frozen bus window, and the bus jerked and he smashed his face on it and lost a tooth. Luckily irl it was a baby tooth but like that seems like a very Chris thing to happen even tho im sure its actually just genetic (also Brian if youre out there im sorry i laughed at you when you lost your tooth and im also sorry i stole your holographic staraptor pokemon card. id still have it if it wasnt for that miserable little troll bastard down the street who then stole it from ME a few years later. poetic justice i guess)

C: what is heart-crushing and awful but fun to inflict on friends

*cracks knuckles* i was born for this

Dan’s never slept a full night in his entire adult life, and has terrible nightmares constantly. His hypervigilance directly comes from his awful childhood, and Chris is his one single source of stability where most well adjusted people would have an entire complex system of friends and family to rely on. Chris is his ‘safe’ person -which I think is primarily an anxiety term but oh boy trust me is it a post traumatic thing also- The two have fundamentally different outlooks on the world and relationships, so theirs is pretty complicated, with Chris not actually realizing that despite the poor treatment, Dan has him on a pedestal in his mind that no one else has ever been privy to before. He has a damn shitty way of showing affection, but its revealed through his constant dependency on Chris and Chris alone that he holds him in incredibly high regards and would likely be devastated into complete nonfunctionality without him around.

Chris has some self esteem issues with this and how it relates to his perceived importance in the lives of his loved ones. With Elise as well, he feels overshadowed by her talent and dependability, not realizing he’s the rock keeping both her and Dan grounded and relatively happy. Elise however is way better at communicating how much she loves Chris and genuinely both needs and wants him around. Also, I believe that Dan’s insane plots are some sort of an appeal to Chris in an outdated way- when they were younger they used to make those crazy plans together, as evidenced by the camp episode and mentioned a few times in passing (there was some line that stuck out to me in the gym ep along the lines of lets do it like old times, come up with a plan together) in Dan’s disconnected mind, he’s still in the past where Elise was never a participant in their lives and Chris and him were still immature and carefree, just the two of them against the world. In a misguided way, he thinks he’s inviting Chris to something fun and nostalgic every time he drags him along for something insane, not realizing in cases like the camp episode they were in the right and forced to fight back against something, and that stretching small grievances into huge meltdowns is an issue, the opposite of what would appeal to Chris now in his adulthood. Part of him is worried about him and that old bond being left behind if he doesn’t keep that very specific set of circumstances going.

that got too long and psychoanalyzey lets move on HKDAUSL

D: would never work with canon but the canon is shit so I believe it anyway

TRANS TRANS TRANS T

this isnt as much a headcanon as an observation but dan has powerful new yorker energy (to me, the new yorker who never shuts up about new yorking). he just checks off a lot of the stereotypes and i wouldnt be surprised if the two of them had grown up around here instead of always living in cali like is canon. he checks all the boxes, rude, loud, opinionated, impatient, cant drive but complains about every other driver on the road, snobby in a weird despite living in a shithole apartment in a cesspool neighborhood, confrontational with complete strangers, colorful aggressive language, the whole thing. ive found personally that whenever im far enough out of state it is PAINFULLY obvious im from new york, given how im just naturally more aggressive in my speaking and mannerism completely unintentionally. Like, ive got a sailors mouth, i complain REAL hyperbolically, and until i noticed it it genuinley put people off who werent used to it HDUSALAS its just. the norm here. im not as angry as i sound lmfao i just talk real aggressive which is v dan

#long post #FINALLY god this took me an hour to write out #connor talks #dan vs #literally feel free to ask for more details on any of these ever im always talking about them in my head #answered asks

17 notes · View notes

richincolor · 3 years

Photo

January's New Releases

2021 told 2020 to hold it's beer and what a month January has been! Publishing YA also came out swinging with a slew of new books (many already bestsellers) in what we hope will be another banner year for BIPOC stories. Click below to find books for your TBR list.

Week of January 5th

The Life I’m In by Sharon G. Flake Scholastic Inc

My feet are heavy as stones when I walk up the block wondering why I can’t find my old self.

In The Skin I’m In, readers saw into the life of Maleeka Madison, a teen who suffered from the ridicule she received because of her dark skin color. For decades fans have wanted to know the fate of the bully who made Maleeka’s life miserable, Char.

Now in Sharon Flake’s latest and unflinching novel, The Life I’m In, we follow Charlese Jones, who, with her raw, blistering voice speaks the truths many girls face, offering insight to some of the causes and conditions that make a bully. Turned out of the only home she has known, Char boards a bus to nowhere where she is lured into the dangerous web of human trafficking. Much is revealed behind the complex system of men who take advantage of vulnerable teens in the underbelly of society. While Char might be frightened, she remains strong and determined to bring herself and her fellow victims out of the dark and back into the light, reminding us why compassion is a powerful cure to the ills of the world.

Sharon Flake’s bestselling, Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel The Skin I’m In was a game changer when it was first published more than twenty years ago. It redefined young adult literature by presenting characters, voices, and real-world experiences that had not been fully seen. Now Flake offers readers another timely and radical story of a girl on the brink and how her choices will lead her to either fall, or fly. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant Balzer + Bray

Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader.

When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just…gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.

But as Tessa checks each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?

One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite Inkyard Press

ISN’T BEING HUMAN ENOUGH? When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic.

One of the good ones.

Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind–why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?–Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there’s a twist to Kezi’s story that no one could’ve ever expected–one that will change everything all over again.

Roman and Jewel by Dana L. Davis Inkyard Press

If Romeo and Juliet got the Hamilton treatment…who would play the leads? This vividly funny, honest, and charming romantic novel by Dana L. Davis is the story of a girl who thinks she has what it takes…and the world thinks so, too.

Jerzie Jhames will do anything to land the lead role in Broadway’s hottest new show, Roman and Jewel, a Romeo and Juliet inspired hip-hopera featuring a diverse cast and modern twists on the play. But her hopes are crushed when she learns mega-star Cinny won the lead…and Jerzie is her understudy.

Falling for male lead Zeppelin Reid is a terrible idea–especially once Jerzie learns Cinny wants him for herself. Star-crossed love always ends badly. But when a video of Jerzie and Zepp practicing goes viral and the entire world weighs in on who should play Jewel, Jerzie learns that while the price of fame is high, friendship, family, and love are priceless.

The Awakening of Malcom X by Ilyasah Shabazz & Tiffany D. Jackson Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)

In Charlestown Prison, Malcolm Little struggles with the weight of his past. Plagued by nightmares, Malcolm drifts through days unsure of his future. Slowly, he befriends other prisoners and writes to his family. He reads all the books in the prison library, joins the debate team and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm grapples with race, politics, religion, and justice in the 1940s. And as his time in jail comes to an end, he begins to awaken — emerging from prison more than just Malcolm Little: Now, he is Malcolm X.

Here is an intimate look at Malcolm X’s young adult years. While this book chronologically follows X: A Novel, it can be read as a stand-alone historical novel that invites larger discussions on black power, prison reform, and civil rights.

When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris HarperCollins

When you look like us—brown skin, brown eyes, black braids or fades—people think you’re trouble. No one looks twice at a missing black girl from the projects because she must’ve brought whatever happened to her upon herself. I, Jay Murphy, can admit that, for a minute, I thought my sister, Nicole, got too caught up with her boyfriend—a drug dealer—and his friends.

But she’s been gone too long now.

If I hadn’t hung up on her that night, she’d be spending time with our grandma. If I was a better brother, she’d be finishing senior year instead of being another name on a missing persons list. It’s time to step up and do what the Newport News police department won’t.

Week of January 12th

Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne Crown Books for Young Readers

She looks me hard in my eyes & my knees lock into tree trunks My eyes don’t dance like my heartbeat racing They stare straight back hot daggers. I remember things will never be the same. I remember things.

With gritty and heartbreaking honesty, Mahogany L. Browne delivers a novel-in-verse about broken promises, fast rumors, and when growing up means growing apart from your best friend.

The Meet-Cute Project by Rhiannon Richardson Simon & Schuster

Mia’s friends love rom-coms. Mia hates them. They’re silly, contrived, and not at all realistic. Besides, there are more important things to worry about—like how to handle living with her bridezilla sister, Sam, who’s never appreciated Mia, and surviving junior year juggling every school club offered and acing all of her classes.

So when Mia is tasked with finding a date to her sister’s wedding, her options are practically nonexistent.

Mia’s friends, however, have an idea. It’s a little crazy, a little out there, and a lot inspired by the movies they love that Mia begrudgingly watches too.

Mia just needs a meet-cute.

Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0) by Angie Thomas Balzer + Bray

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can’t just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.

Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink Feiwel and Friends

Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Wilson is, on the surface, a town troublemaker, but is hiding that he is an avid reader and secret poet, never leaving home without his journal. A passionate follower of WEB. Du Bois, he believes that black people should rise up to claim their place as equals.

Sixteen-year-old Angel Hill is a loner, mostly disregarded by her peers as a goody-goody. Her father is dying, and her family’s financial situation is in turmoil. Also, as a loyal follower of Booker T. Washington, she believes, through education and tolerance, that black people should rise slowly and without forced conflict.

Though they’ve attended the same schools, Isaiah never noticed Angel as anything but a dorky, Bible toting church girl. Then their English teacher offers them a job on her mobile library, a three-wheel, two-seater bike. Angel can’t turn down the money and Isaiah is soon eager to be in such close quarters with Angel every afternoon.

But life changes on May 31, 1921 when a vicious white mob storms the community of Greenwood, leaving the town destroyed and thousands of residents displaced. Only then, Isaiah, Angel, and their peers realize who their real enemies are.

Week of January 19th

Thirty Talks Weird Love by Alessandra Narváez Varela Cinco Puntos Press

Out of nowhere, a lady comes up to Anamaría and says she’s her, from the future. But Anamaría’s thirteen, she knows better than to talk to some weirdo stranger. Girls need to be careful, especially in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico—it’s the 90’s and fear is overtaking her beloved city as cases of kidnapped girls and women become alarmingly common. This thirty-year-old “future” lady doesn’t seem to be dangerous but she won’t stop bothering her, switching between cheesy Hallmark advice about being kind to yourself, and some mysterious talk about saving a girl.

Anamaría definitely doesn’t need any saving, she’s doing just fine. She works hard at her strict, grade-obsessed middle school—so hard that she hardly gets any sleep; so hard that the stress makes her snap not just at mean girls but even her own (few) friends; so hard that when she does sleep she dreams about dying—but she just wants to do the best she can so she can grow up to be successful. Maybe Thirty’s right, maybe she’s not supposed to be so exhausted with her life, but how can she ask for help when her city is mourning the much bigger tragedy of its stolen girls?

This thought-provoking, moving verse novel will lead adult and young adult readers alike to vital discussions on important topics—like dealing with depression and how to recognize this in yourself and others—through the accessible voice of a thirteen-year-old girl.

Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall Atheneum/Dlouhy

Things can change in a second:

The second Frankie Green gets that scholarship letter, he has his ticket out of Jamaica.

The second his longtime crush, Leah, asks him on a date, he’s in trouble.

The second his father gets shot, suddenly nothing else matters.

And the second Frankie joins his uncle’s gang in exchange for paying for his father’s medical bills, there’s no going back…or is there?

As Frankie does things he never thought he’d be capable of, he’s forced to confront the truth of the family and future he was born into—and the ones he wants to build for himself.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo Dutton Books for Young Readers

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmin Kaur HarperCollins

Told in prose, poetry, and illustration, this heartrending story weaves Kiran’s and Sahaara’s timelines together, showing a teenage Kiran and, later, her high school–aged daughter, Sahaara.

Kiran is a young Punjabi Sikh woman who becomes pregnant after being sexually assaulted by her fiancé’s brother. When her fiancé and family don’t believe her, she flees her home in India to Canada, where she plans to raise the child as a single mother. For Kiran, living undocumented means constant anxiety over finances, work, safety, and whether she’ll be deported back to the dangers that await her in Punjab.

Eighteen years later, Kiran’s daughter, Sahaara, is desperate to help her mother, who has been arrested and is facing deportation. In the aftermath, Kiran reveals the truth about Sahaara’s conception. Horrified, Sahaara encourages Kiran to speak out against the man who raped her—who’s now a popular political figure in Punjab. Sahaara must find the best way to support her mother while also dealing with the revelation about her parents.

We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya #2) by Hafsah Faizal Farrar, Straus and Giroux

The battle on Sharr is over. The dark forest has fallen. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan he set in motion: restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate, and finally returning magic to all of Arawiya. But they are low on resources and allies alike, and the kingdom teems with fear of the Lion of the Night’s return.

As the zumra plots to overthrow the kingdom’s darkest threat, Nasir fights to command the magic in his blood. He must learn to hone his power into a weapon, to wield not only against the Lion but against his father, trapped under the Lion’s control. Zafira battles a very different darkness festering in her through her bond with the Jawarat—a darkness that hums with voices, pushing her to the brink of her sanity and to the edge of a chaos she dare not unleash. In spite of the darkness enclosing ever faster, Nasir and Zafira find themselves falling into a love they can’t stand to lose…but time is running out to achieve their ends, and if order is to be restored, drastic sacrifices will have to be made.

Lush and striking, hopeful and devastating, We Free the Stars is the masterful conclusion to the Sands of Arawiya duology by New York Times–bestselling author Hafsah Faizal.

Week of January 26th

Written in Starlight (Woven in Moonlight #2) by Isabel Ibañez Page Street Kids

If the jungle wants you, it will have you…

Catalina Quiroga is a Condesa without a country. She’s lost the Inkasisa throne, the loyalty of her people, and her best friend. Banished to the perilous Yanu Jungle, Catalina knows her chances of survival are slim, but that won’t stop her from trying to escape. It’s her duty to reclaim the throne.

When Manuel, the son of her former general, rescues Catalina from a jaguar, a plan forms. Deep in the jungle, the city of gold is hidden, home to the fierce Illari people, who she could strike an alliance with.

But the elusive Illari are fighting a battle of their own—a mysterious blight is corrupting the jungle, laying waste to everything they hold dear. As a seer, Catalina should be able to help, but her ability to read the future in the stars is as feeble as her survival instincts. While searching for the Illari, Catalina must reckon with her duty and her heart to find her true calling, which could be the key to stopping the corruption before it destroys the jungle completely.

The Knockout by Sajni Patel Flux

If seventeen-year-old Kareena Thakkar is going to alienate herself from the entire Indian community, she might as well do it gloriously. She’s landed the chance of a lifetime, an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open, which could lead to a spot on the first-ever Olympic team. If only her sport wasn’t seen as something too rough for girls, something she’s afraid to share with anyone outside of her family. Despite pleasing her parents, exceling at school, and making plans to get her family out of debt, Kareena’s never felt quite Indian enough, and her training is only making it worse.

Which is inconvenient, since she’s starting to fall for Amit Patel, who just might be the world’s most perfect Indian. Admitting her feelings for Amit will cost Kareena more than just her pride–she’ll have to face his parents’ disapproval, battle her own insecurities, and remain focused for the big fight. Kareena’s bid for the Olympics could very well make history–if she has the courage to go for it.

Wings of Ebony (Wings of Ebony #1) by J. Elle Denene Millner Books/Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

“Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue’s taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders.

Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother’s life.

Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon—an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors’ power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground.

#new releases #weneeddiversebooks #ownvoices

8 notes · View notes

fatesdeepdive · 3 years

Text

Entry 14: Groans of Increasing Discomfort

Heading back to the castle, it seems I’ve accumulated a ton of new buildings to buy. I can buy a statue of Mozu which probably costed more than her entire village, a ballista and shuriken launcher to use in castle battles, a bunch of puppets to give me nightmares (they fight for you in castle battles too I guess), a shop to buy new units (both generics and clones of the soldiers I already have), and a hot spring. Because fanservice. You can run into other units in there, everyone is in their underwear and blushing, half of the decisions that were made in this game’s development were solely for the sake of horniness, yada yada yada. I actually tried to leave and the game stopped me, because Sakura was showing up and it’s necessary to get that bath time with the teenage girl. The hot springs does have a use, admittedly, but it won’t become apparent for a few chapters.

Support: Lady Corrin/Reina

C: Corrin sees Reina talking to an old man and asks her about it. Reina explains that he reminds her of her parents, who cut her out of their life when she became a soldier. And also, apparently, don’t give a shit about her being the personal retainer to the goddamn Queen. Actually, wait, hold on. Where the hell was Reina when Mikoto got blown up? You know what? Her parents should be ashamed of her, she’s a terrible bodyguard.

B: Corrin tells Reina she should visit her parents. Which makes sense; Corrin points out that she’s an orphan and wishes for any relationship with a parent, no matter how strained. Reina tells Corrin that she became a soldier because she really, really, really likes killing people. Corrin volunteers to find out how Reina’s parents are doing.

A: Corrin tells Reina that her parents are doing fine. Reina retcons the last conversation by revealing that she became a soldier to protect her family’s peasants. Nowadays, though, it’s all about that murder.

Review: This one was fine. Corrin wanting to help Reina is a nice bit of characterization, but there isn’t much more to say about this one.

Now, you may be wondering why I referred to Corrin as Lady Corrin in the last bit. Reina actually has completely different supports depending on Corrin’s sex. Most characters have identical supports with Corrin, or if not that just minor dialogue changes (For example, Camilla and Laslow, off the top of my head). But characters like Reina, who can only support Corrin, get two conversations. I suppose it’s for the best, considering those characters would otherwise be incredibly out of focus as opposed to merely extremely out of focus.

Support: Lord Corrin/Reina

C: Corrin sees Reina carrying an apron, which weirds him out, because of the whole murder hobo thing.

B: Reina reveals her sheltered noblewoman housewife in training turned soldier backstory and says that the apron was a gift from her parents before they cut her out.

A: Reina says that her parents cried when she became a knight and that she keeps the apron out of gratitude for them.

S: Corrin, off screen, goes back to Hoshido to talk to Reina’s parents. Apparently they’re proud of her. And he asked to marry her, which she accepts, because she cannot imagine life without him. Apparently.

Review: So, these are kinda the same support? I mean, the actual words are different, but they cover the same information. It’s weird that they were split into two conversations. Whatever. The second one is better, because it gives this really fun characterization of Reina being a friendly team mom when she isn’t stabbing people so she can hear them gasp their last breaths. Also, it resolves the plotline. On the other hand, the S-Rank is really mediocre. Reina saying she relies on Corrin daily is ridiculous, given what we’ve seen. Overall, the problem with Reina is that she just has these two conversations. And one with Kanna, I guess, but that one is recycled from other characters. If Reina was a more fleshed out character that interacted with other characters, she might work as a character. But, as it stands, all she has is her recruitment and two mediocre supports.

Support: Hinata/Takumi

C: Hinata kicks down the door to Takumi’s room so he can tell him that he’s going to start a fighting tournament so he can beat people up.

B: Hinata beats people up.

A: Hinata reveals that he’s beating people up to cheer up Takumi, because Takumi looks happy when he cheers him on. I feel like he could have, I don’t know, asked Takumi how to cheer him up in advance instead of just assuming and doing something he said he didn’t want, but whatever. The two bond over Hinata beating people up.

Review: I think this one helped me hone in on why a lot of Fire Emblem supports don’t work. Supports are, by their very nature, just dialogue. So, when you get a support like this, that relies heavily on something happening, it ends up as telling not showing. That’s why the best supports rely on dialogue rather than explain something that happened off screen.

Support: Kagero/Saizo

C: Kagero and Saizo get into an argument over how to train royal guards, with Kagero pointing out that Saizo’s hard as nails “be ready to die for the monarchy” speech just stressed people out. Saizo blames the new recruits for being inexperienced.

B: Saizo endangers the life of his men to succeed on a mission and Kagero calls him out on it. Saizo points out that victory requires sacrifice and war is unforgiving. The two of them point out that they’ve had this exact argument again and again, and it’s the reason they broke up when they were dating.

A: Kagero and Saizo win a big battle together and admit that they work well together.

S: Saizo points out that their relationship failed because they kept trying to change each other and forgot that they loved each other. The two of them decide to give it another shot.

Review: This one has a much more solemn and reserved tone than most supports, which helps it stand out. It isn’t great, but it has a good tone and I actually don’t dislike Saizo and Kagero as a couple. Them being a flawed couple that broke up over their differences, then trying it again after maturing and becoming more rounded people is a lot more realistic than most relationships in this game.

Birthright Chapter 12: Dark Reunion

The gang arrives in Cyrkensia, a city in Nestra, a country that I forgot existed because this is the only part of the game where it is mentioned. Cyrkensia is a popular vacation spot with a big opera house that appeared in the intro.

A kitsune named Kaden goes up to the party and explains that he’s in town to repay a favor to someone. This introduction feels like when you introduce a new player halfway through a D&D campaign and they quickly explain their deal after walking up to the party.

Kaden introduces his friend Layla, who explains that she’s a singer at the opera house, but can’t perform tonight because her mother is dying. Also she’s singing for King Garon, the evil king who is on vacation a week after starting a brutal war. Azura volunteers to perform in Layla’s steed so the party can do some patricide. Now, you may be thinking, did the game do the stupid trope of having Azura and Layla look identical? Surprisingly, no, they didn’t. Everything else about this chapter is so cliche I assumed they would, but they actually remembered Zola has illusion magic that the party never uses. Also, because we helped the person Kaden has to help, he now owes us a favor, and will totally kill dozens of soldiers in a war he doesn’t give a shit about if we ask him to.

Kaden

Kaden is a Kitsune, this game’s equivalent of Laguz or Taguel from past games. He wields a special weapon called a Beast Stone that allows him to fight by turning into a big ass fox. His personal skill heals units who heal him. He’s a glass canon who does extra damage to cavalry, giving him an interesting niche. His human design is fine, but not remarkable. His fox design is cool, especially regarding the blue fire that floats around him; that said, the spikes on the legs are weird. Personality wise, he seems to be a go lucky idiot who stumbled into joining us.

When the party arrives at the opera house, Corrin notices Elise, who looks sad. Azura, who doesn’t look like Layla for the player, goes on stage. Azura sings the only song she knows, the magic one that breaks mind control, which makes Garon...groan in increasing discomfort, which makes me also feel discomforted. Also Azura does a bunch of crazy water magic, which is a bit extra.

Garon orders his troops to capture us, because Zola betrayed us. Gasp. Shocking. Zola does admittedly beg Garon to spare us. Garon kills him for even suggesting it, right in front of his young daughter, because Garon is a cartoon supervillain. Zola dies begging Corrin to forgive him and Garon calls Corrin weak for having sympathy. Takumi threatens to kill Garon, but Corrin points out that they need to leave if they want to live. Which is smart; Garon has ridiculously high stats.

This battle sees our units fighting on boats floating in the opera house, which is a cool setting for a battle. On turn three, some reinforcements arrive. Xander, who’s still pissed about the whole traitor thing. With him are Peri, a cavalier with cotton candy hair, and...is that Inigo? That’s Inigo, from Awakening. That’s fucking Inigo! What is Inigo doing here, and more importantly, why is he working for the very obviously evil bad guys?

There’s a Dragon Vein you can use to freeze all the water, which would make this level easier, if it wasn’t already a broken easy level. To beat this level, you need to get Corrin to a specific spot. Corrin can’t walk on water, so you need to fight through an onslaught of tough enemies. There’s just one problem: Hinoka or Subaki can carry Corrin directly to the end. I fought the enemies, because why not, but I didn’t have to.

I ignored Garon because he’s able to one shot literally every unit in my army, but I did decide to take on team Xander. Side note, I looked up Garon’s battle quote after the fact, and he says this to Corrin: “I may not be your father, but I will slap you down like a child.” I take back everything bad I ever said about Garon.

Peri, as it turns out, is a sadistic sociopath, because Nohr. Inigo...excuse me, Laslow, blushes when we stab him. And Xander steals Inigo’s famous crit quote from the Princess Bride.

Peri and Laslow went down easy, but Xander was almost as bad as Garon. Even with his bonus against cavalry, Kaden only did one point of damage per hit. I had to resort to the classic strategy of throwing disposable soldiers at him until he was weak enough for Corrin to Dragonstone.

This was a great map, with a creative setting, multiple ways to approach it, tough bosses, and an exploit that makes it completely skippable. Still, it’s the only Birthright chapter with a creative goal, so it deserves a little credit.

After escaping the opera house, Xander chases after us, despite being defeated ten seconds earlier. Elise gets in his way, telling him that if he’s going to fight someone, he should fight her. As Corrin runs, Xander warns that it is her destiny to fight him.

After escaping Xander again, Corrin finds Azura collapsed on the ground, exhausted. She’s going to die at the end of the game, isn’t she?

#xander fe #azura fe #corrin fe #kaden fe #garon fe #elise fe #takumi x hinata #saizo x fe #corrin x reina #saizo fe #kagero fe #wifi sucks so late

5 notes · View notes

thelittlesttimelord · 4 years

Text

The Littlest Timelord: The Fall of the Eleventh Chapter 17

TITLE: The Littlest Timelord: The Fall of the Eleventh Chapter 17 PAIRING: No Pairing RATING: T CHAPTER: 17/? SUMMARY: Elise Smith is now a teenaged Timelord. In addition to losing the Ponds, the fields of Trenzalore are calling. But first they have to figure out exactly who Clara Oswald is.

[A/N - We’ve reached the end of the Ponds. Next up, is the Snowmen episode (which I am stoked to write). Big reveal in this chapter!]

Amy joined them outside. “Okay, why did you lie?” she asked.

“Never let him see the damage,” River told her.

Never let him see the damage.

Amy walked over to her and put her arm around her daughter’s shoulder, while Elise wrapped her arm around River’s. They made quiet the group. All three generations of one family. Daughter, mother, and grandmother.

River turned to look at Amy. “And never, ever let him see you age. He doesn't like endings.”

The Doctor came running outside. “Got it. He's at a place called Winter Quay. The car, yes? Let's go.”

The four of them got into the car. They pulled up to the apartment building.

“Why would they send him here? Why not zap him back in time, like they normally do?” River asked.

“We'll know that when we know what this place is,” the Doctor said.

They got out and looked up at the building.

“Winter Quay,” Amy pointed out.

They all ran inside and got inside the lift, except Elise.

“Elise, come on. We do not have time for this!” the Doctor yelled.

River put her hand out and Elise took it, stepping inside.

They rode up to the eighth floor and got out.

“Rory?” Amy asked.

“He's close,” River told her.

“Rory!”

They came to a door that was open.

“Rory!” Amy ran to him and hugged him.

“Amy.”

River stopped walking.

There was an angel at the end of the corridor.

“Doctor, look at this. Why is it smiling?”

The Doctor looked over and saw “R. Williams” on a nameplate next to the door. “Amy. Rory!” the Doctor yelled, stepping into the apartment. He pulled River and Elise with him. “Get out of here! Don't look at anything. Don't touch…”

“Who's that?” Amy asked, spotting someone lying in the bed.

It was an old man. He reached out towards them. “Amy. Amy, please.”

Amy approached him and took his hand in hers.

“Amy, please. Please.”

“Rory?” Amy turned to look at the Rory standing with the Doctor, Elise, and River. “He's you.”

The last word the old Rory said was Amy’s name.

“Will someone please tell me what is going on?” Rory asked.

The Doctor turned to Rory. “I'm sorry, Rory, but you just died.”

“Doctor, just tell us what’s going on,” Amy said.

“This place is policed by Angels. Every time you try to escape, you get zapped back in time.”

“So this place belongs to the Angels? They built it?”

“Displacing someone back in time creates time energy, and that is what the Angels feed on. But normally, it's a one off, a hit and run. If they could keep hold of their victims, feed off their time energy over and over again. This place is a farm. A battery farm. How many Angels in New York?”

“It's like they've taken over every statue in the city,” River said.

“The Angels take Manhattan because they can, because they've never had a food source like this one. The city that never sleeps.”

Heavy footsteps could be heard coming towards them outside.

“What was that?” Rory asked.

“I don't know. But I think they're coming for you.”

“What does that mean? What is going to happen to me? What is physically going to happen?”

The Doctor sat down in a chair. “The Angels will come for you. They'll zap you back in time to this very spot, thirty, forty years ago. And you'll live out the rest of your life in this room, until you die in that bed.”

“And will Amy be there?”

“No.”

“How do you know?” Amy asked.

“Because he was so pleased to see you again.”

“Okay. Well, they haven't taken me yet. What if I just run?” Rory asked, “What if I just get the hell out of here? Then that never happens.”

“It's already happened. Rory, you've just witnessed your own future.”

“Doctor, he's right,” River said.

“No, he isn't.”

“If Rory got out, it would create a paradox.”

The heavy footsteps were getting closer.

“What is that?” Amy asked.

The Doctor and River ignored her question.

“This is the Angels' food source. The paradox poisons the well. It could kill them all. This whole place would literally un-happen,” River told him.

“It would be almost impossible,” the Doctor said.

River crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. “Loving the almost.”

The Doctor stood up. “But to create a paradox like that takes almost unimaginable power. What have we got, eh? Tell me. Come on, what?”

Amy walked over to Rory and took her hand in his. “I won't let them take him. That's what we've got.”

The footsteps were even closer now, almost right outside the window.

“Whatever that thing is, it's getting closer,” Rory told them.

“Rory, even if you got out, you'd have to keep running for the rest of your life. They would be chasing you forever.”

“Well, then. Better get started,” Amy said. She opened the door and there stood an angel. “Husband, run!”

Amy and Rory ran out the door and past the angel. The Doctor smirked with pride at his companions.

The lights flickered and the angels were closer.

“River, I'm not sure this can work,” the Doctor said.

“Husband, shut up.”

They rushed for the door as the lights flickered again. An angel blocked the doorway. The lights flickered again and they were trapped in the room.

Elise whimpered.

River grabbed her hand. “It’s okay, sweetie. Just keep calm.”

The Doctor soniced the lightbulb to keep it on.

They were surrounded on all sides by angels.

“We can't keep doing this,” the Doctor said.

“Any ideas?” River asked.

“Yeah, the usual. Run!”

They bolted from the room and found angels on the stairs.

“Okay! Fire escape.”

They managed to find a fire escape and ran up to the roof, where they found Amy and Rory standing on the ledge.

“What the hell are you doing!” the Doctor yelled.

“Changing the future. It's called marriage,” Amy said.

The two of them fell off the ledge.

“Amy!”

“Rory!”

Elise, River, and the Doctor ran over and looked over the side of the ledge.

Balls of energy started to flicker around the roof.

“Doctor! What's happening?” River asked.

The Doctor turned around and grabbed both River and Elise’s hands. “The paradox. It's working! The paradox is working!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They appeared in a graveyard.

“Where are we?” Rory asked as he and Amy sat up.

“Back where we started. You collapsed the timeline. The paradox worked. We all pinged back where we belong,” the Doctor told them.

“What, in a graveyard?”

“This happened the last time. Why always here?” Amy asked.

“Does it matter? We got lucky. We could've blown New York off the planet. I can't ever take the TARDIS back there. The timelines are too scrambled.” The Doctor sighed. “I could have lost you both.” He hugged them. “Don't ever do that again.”

“What did we do? We fixed it. We solved the problem,” Rory said.

“I was talking to myself.” He kissed both of them on the forehead.

River and the Doctor examined the damage on the TARDIS.

“It could do with a repaint,” River told him.

“I've been busy,” the Doctor said.

“Does the bulb on top need changing?”

“I just changed it.”

“So. Rory and Amy, then.”

“Yes. I know, I know.”

“I'm just saying. They're going to get terribly bored hanging round here all day.”

Elise smiled seeing them bicker. Everything was back to normal.

“Doctor,” Rory called, walking up with Amy, “Look, next time, could we could just go to the pub?”

“I want go to the pub right now,” the Doctor agreed, “Are there video games there? I love video games.”

“Right. Family outing, then,” River said.

He went inside to find some coordinates, while River went inside to get changed into something more suitable.

Elise gave Amy and Rory one last glance before going inside.

“It’s a shame. I really loved old New York. I went there once a long time ago,” the Doctor said.

Amy started to come inside when Rory called her name. “Doctor!” Amy yelled.

Elise, the Doctor, and River came running out of the TARDIS.

There was an angel standing next to a gravestone and Amy was staring at it.

“Where the hell did that come from?” River asked.

“It's a survivor. Very weak, but keep your eyes on it,” the Doctor said.

“Where’s Rory?” Amy asked.

The Doctor approached the gravestone and saw Rory’s name.

“I'm sorry. Amelia, I'm so, so sorry.”

“No. No, we can just go and get him in the TARDIS. One more paradox.”

“It would rip New York apart.”

“No, that's not true. I don't believe you.”

“Mother, it's true,” River told her.

Amy approached the angel.

Elise started to move, but the Doctor turned around.

“Do not move, Elise. Do you hear me? You don’t take one more step.”

Elise flinched at his hard tone, but did as he said.

He turned back to Amy. “Amy, what are you doing?”

“That gravestone, Rory's, there's room for one more name, isn't there?”

“What are you talking about? Back away from the Angel.” He grabbed Amy’s wrist, but she pulled away from him. “Come back to the TARDIS. We'll figure something out.”

“The Angel, would it send me back to the same time? To him?”

“I don't know. Nobody knows.”

“But it's my best shot, yeah?”

“No!”

“Doctor, shut up,” River snapped, “Yes. Yes, it is.”

“Amy…” the Doctor begged.

“Well, then. I just have to blink, right?”

“No!”

“It'll be fine. I know it will. I'll be with him, like I should be. Me and Rory together. Melody?”

“Stop it. Just, just stop it!”

River walked to Amy and grabbed her hand. She kissed the back of it.

“You look after him. You be a good girl, and you look after him and Elise,” Amy told her.

“You are creating fixed time. I will never be able to see you again,” the Doctor said.

“I'll be fine. I'll be with him.”

“Amy, please, just come back into the TARDIS. Come along, Pond, please.”

“Raggedy man, goodbye!” Amy spun around and disappeared. Amy’s name appeared on the gravestone.

“No!” the Doctor cried.

River walked over to the Doctor and rubbed his back, trying to comfort him. When she turned back, she saw Elise still standing next to the TARDIS, but she wasn’t crying.

Never let him see the damage.

She was standing there stoically.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

River flew the TARDIS while the Doctor sat on the stairs.

Elise sat on the opposite staircase, for once not taking comfort in him.

“River, they were your parents. I'm sorry, I didn't even think,” the Doctor told her.

“It doesn't matter.”

“Of course it matters.”

“What matters is this. Doctor, don't travel alone.”

He wasn’t truly alone with Elise, but River could see the change in her. She’d never go back to the girl she once was. Not after this.

“Travel with me, then.” The Doctor knew Elise would need River to fall back on.

“Whenever and wherever you want.”

The Doctor smiled.

“But not all the time. One psychopath per TARDIS, don't you think? Okay. This book I've got to write. Melody Malone. I presume I send it to Amy to get it published?”

“Yes. Yes.”

“I'll tell her to write an afterword.” She walked past him on the stairs. “For you. Maybe you'll listen to her.” She disappeared down the corridor.

“The last page!” The Doctor ran to the console, throwing levers and hitting buttons.

The TARDIS landed and he ran out the door, leaving Elise in the control room alone with her thoughts.

When he returned, he was holding the last page of the book. “You told me this would happen…” he said.

“What?”

“You…”

Elise stood up and walked over to him. “Okay, you’re starting to scare me now. What are you talking about?”

“I…I can’t tell you.”

Elise crossed her arms over her chest. “No. You can’t just say something like that and then take it back. What do you mean I told you?”

“Spoilers.”

“No. Tell me.”

“I can’t!”

“Okay, so some time in the future I tell you about losing Amy and Rory…”

The Doctor sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Not my future. Your future. And you didn’t mention them by name. In fact, you wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“When?”

“Spoilers.”

That word was starting to get on her nerves.

“Ellie, I can’t tell you because I don’t know when it happens for you.” The Doctor walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder, which she shrugged off. “You’ve seen what can happen when you know the future. The timeline has to be upheld. I’m sorry. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

Elise rolled her eyes and stormed out of the control room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Elise came into the control room.

The orange and bright interior was gone, exchanged for a cold metal interior bathed in blue and purple light.

She had so many good memories in that control room. Did he change it? Or did the TARDIS change it?

“What do you think?” her father asked her.

“I don’t like it.” The Doctor rolled his eyes.

“Well, where are we?” Elise asked.

The Doctor gestured to the doors.

Elise walked over to them. She threw them open, expecting see the vast expanse of space but instead saw fog.

“Well, go on,” he told her.

Elise stepped out and found it was solid. She walked over to the edge, seeing building she didn’t recognize.

The Doctor joined her. “Elise, welcome to Victorian England.”

Elise looked at him confused. “No trip?”

The Doctor’s face hardened. “No more trips.”

“Ever?”

“No.”

“But…”

“No.” The Doctor stormed back into the TARDIS, the doors slamming shut behind him.

Elise glanced over the side, before turning back and going back inside.

#eleventh doctor #eleventh doctor imagines #eleventh doctor imagine #doctor who #doctor who imagine #Doctor Who fanfiction #amy pond #amy pond imagine #Rory Williams #rory williams imagine #river song #river song imagine #the littlest timelord #the littlest timelord: the fall of the eleventh #the angels take manhattan

16 notes · View notes

altarflame · 4 years

Text

Let me give you this real country music breakdown.

Keeping in mind that 2019 involved lots of gut wrenching transition, including divorce and selling my home of 11 years (the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere). Moving away from the tropics, to a place where the ocean is usually too far and my plants can’t live outside through the winter. I had a kid move out and away, for the first time. My oldest friend also died last August, after a scant 3 month long battle with cancer. It was a real plague upon my proverbial dog, wife, and pickup truck. And, of course, I’m living through a pandemic, and a long overdue but very emotional racial justice uprising, with the rest of you, now. Anyway. OTHER than those things, my 2020 has been like...My sister’s gradually, gut wrenchingly cut off all contact with me over the past couple of years, culminating in the last couple of months, whenst we no longer speaketh at all. I’ve fought hard for this to be different and it’s still very sharp. I don’t think I’ll ever give up hope, or stop making a fool of myself about it. A new friend I was starting to really care about hung herself in April. I’ve tried to be there for her husband and 5 year old daughter when and how I can, which is honestly not much. I’ve taken several people who were scared to go alone, to her grave. I felt forced to break up with the person I thought was my soul mate, these past 3 years, and wanted to be with forever, and I have grieved it hard over the last couple of months. I’m still processing this. I’m gonna be processing this for awhile. My threshold for being anywhere near him without overwhelming sobbing is apparently approximately 45 seconds. In the beginning we were scrambled together, mixed in a celestial bowl and hand fluffed with a feather. And the tears of bliss were not amiss - it was a good day. But the story nears the present time Of restlessness and wake up calls Wake up! Years have flown fast but then who's counting The wars have been won but there's few left standing between us And the shadows of Christmas past... Critically acclaimed but sadly underrated - Fortune definitely favored us, but no one celebrated. Our wits were splitting at their ends... We gazed upon the city lights We each laughed aloud one final time and agreed: This is one thing we'll miss... On his way out, he sabotaged my part time foster child’s mom’s tenuous, fragile relationship with me, so I no longer have the ability to connect with or help that child who he brought into my life. Who I love and wonder about and periodically hear horror stories about via mutual friends. I bent over backwards, I burned calories straining for that trust between the mom and myself.

It’s so terrible sometimes. It hurts so bad. Jean-Paul. LAURA. *MILLS* . Coralye. FUCK. This post brought to you with plenty of hard crying, and no shortage of echoing painful music. I’m physically sick about this shit semi often. I don’t normally let go of anybody, guys. But certainly not my fucking nearest and dearest. I have a lot. I have SO MUCH. I know this. I feel good a lot of the time. I have all 5 of my kids under this roof while the pandemic rages on, and they’re all healthy and beautiful and they all love me and talk with me. It’s mostly all cake these days with them, Elise telling me where she is in her own solitary reading for pleasure, Ananda cracking me up, Jake biking to the grocery store for treats to share, Aaron showing me something amazing in the yard, Isaac washing dishes and giving me weirdly helpful and totally unanticipated advice. They’re almost no work now, it’s all return on investment and I have tons of privacy and I use the fuck out of it. I’m deeply in love with somebody these past 7 months. Being deeply in new love AND devastated-heartbroken about lost love at the same time is honestly dizzying, I spent a first destitute day thinking maybe I can’t do polyamory anymore, period. Maybe this is too fucking much and I’m gonna be alone and focus on my career and my goddamned plants. (<--not fucking really, obv I am not gonna let the pain win and go full hermit. Brief compelling temptation, though.) My career and my plants are great, btw, thanks for asking. I’ve got basically my dream job, it’s flexible and lackadaisical AND meaningful and challenging, it’s salaried with bonuses and hella benefits and amazing job security. It’s the whole thing, the culmination of 6 years in school and unpaid internships and volunteering. I even have a spare PRN position elsewhere that I mostly hang on to because it’s fun when they want me to come make $200 for a shift, to mix it up a little. And I have solo projects, writing and web and mental health, all in the works, and they’re good. I have seedlings sprouting. I have a yard that is pure magic, revealing new secrets each day. I’ve got some of my oldest people, like Jess. I’ve got some exciting new people, like Jill. The love, did I mention it? Holy shit. I’ve got Sterling, and that is a whole other story. That it’s been this good while things are this bad is pretty astounding. His own drama quotient has been off the charts, too. I almost can’t imagine how wonderful it would be if we weren’t constantly adrift in a sea of bullshit, though I also strongly suspect we both need a certain staggering minimum quota of bullshit. It’s no accident that we met mutually chasing along after the wake of the same madman’s chaos. We’re nursing some deep wounds in each other, waking up some old old hurts and soothing them back down smaller and smaller. Anytime we’re touching it’s either syrupy soma sweet, blazing inferno hot, or a staggering blend of the two - and then we pull apart to try to actually speak with whole brains, and inevitably take turns being baffled, just hilariously relieved, at how easy it is to communicate. We alternate coming at each other on tiptoe, braced, and then feeling confused and just.... amused? Skeptical? that the other is totally able to empathize with what was just said and is accepting it gently. We don’t have a ton of objective stuff in common, on paper. We’re both very wordy and linguistic, we’re analyzers, we draw unusual people who will feel safe telling us insane things. We’re both hypersexual perverts, chronic pickers, we both wear too much black. It doesn’t go a lot further than that at a glance. We both have PTSD and ironclad outward facing coping skills, nostalgia for the Florida Keys, scientific skepticism mixed with some faith in magic.... we were both brilliant children who felt pretty isolated. But I haven’t ever really felt like anyone is loving me the way I love people, before. I’ve never even felt like anyone else received my love, the same way I intended it, or at least not all of it. It’s like the intensity of what I’m conveying and meaning when I kiss somebody’s cheek, I dunno man, he experiences it. The goofy flowing sense I have, of holding hands, he comments on it all the time. I’m not just like.... alone, in my overwhelm with being touched, or my enthusiasm for sensations, and that is honestly pretty new to me. Sterling is not tolerating my affection for my sake, and I’m still gradually adapting to that with periodic backsliding into hesitance, and unneeded apologies. It’s like we’re totally fluent in the precise same love language, so nothing gets lost, and the feedback loop is instantaneous. He’s dark inside, but dark like Nine Inch Nail’s A Warm Place. Dark like the womb. So as I was saying. I have so much. Including a candle that’s about Mills, and is burning behind me, giving me this slipping sense that I need to blow it out, I need to reserve it, it’s gonna be gone soon. This one spans so many feelings, it’s been positive, some new candle would be what, voodoo? Meddling? I don’t know. This one’s been in a drawer, with our ring buried in it (my dragon). What will I do with that ring? What will I do with all this love? How can I contain so much, anyway? Why can’t anything ever replace anything else? It’s like infinite space, and the empty places just keep throbbing, and it’s like I sprout new spots for new fullness and the cavities pulse on. I’m deeply grateful for a certain self-completeness I’ve come to understand that I have, and that not everyone does. I am resiliant A-motherfucking-F (<--meta vulgar!). AND YET. OW OW OW. I’m sitting here trying to exposure therapy my way through my Mills playlist, as I write this, so Spotify can’t surprise me into sads anymore. I’ve gotten already to a place where sometimes i remember positive things purely positively, and laugh and tell a story and it’s ok. I’m bitter as all hell that I can’t even talk to my sister about this breakup, after she had so many stupid goddamned feelings about the relationship itself, about polyamory in general, about ever knowing him (which might have allowed her to help me grieve at all). Sigh. I love the internet, maybe feel free to send me a message if you’re still reading, whoever the fuck you are <3

#personal #long text posts #polyamory #Mills #loss #Sterling #motherhood #MSW

17 notes · View notes

blackswaneuroparedux · 4 years

Text

Anonymous asked: I always think of you as Kristin Scott Thomas’ character Fiona in Four Weddings and a Funeral as a beautiful woman who is scarily clever and classy. So with my upcoming wedding (next year!) and especially wedding music I thought of you. I really would appreciate your advice on Mendelssohn or Wagner as they seem to be the traditional choices of music to play at a traditional church wedding. My fiancé isn’t bothered what music we play but I can’t decide. Please do help as I value your unvarnished truth.

Thank you for the flattering words which while well intentioned are nevertheless entirely misplaced.

Swiftly moving on, a sincere congratulations on your forthcoming wedding. I can only imagine how stressful it must be running around like a headless chicken trying to desperately organise everything. And desperate you certainly must be - perhaps even certifiably insane - if you’re turning to me on Tumblr for advice!

I’m not married....yet ( oops! better get that caveat in before I am chastised by those who really know me) but I am a wedding veteran - some would even say, a jaded one (thank you, mummy).

Every season there is a string of wedding invitations that I can’t turn down and I feel obligated to attend. While great fun, one wedding starts to blur into another especially when the champagne starts to copiously flow. I have my own thoughts on the good, the bad, and the tacky about wedding etiquette but I don’t want to disappear down that rabbit hole. Instead let’s talk about Mendelssohn and Wagner.

Both music pieces have traditionally struck a chord (pardon the pun) and have become a staple of traditional weddings since time immemorial.

Mendelssohn's ‘Wedding March’ was originally composed in 1842. He got there first.

youtube

Wagner's ‘Bridal Chorus’ came later in 1848. The ‘Bridal Chorus’ became a popularised piece to play at weddings around Europe after it was most memorably used as the processional at the wedding of Victoria, the Princess Royal to Prince Frederick William of Prussia in 1858. Nowadays - certainly in Britain and the US - it is generally known as "Here Comes the Bride”.

youtube

I suppose the straight forward answer is that it doesn’t have to be Wagner vs. Mendelssohn. Why not both? Wagner’s ‘Bridal Chorus’ can be used for the entrance processional of the bride walking down the aisle and the Mendelssohn ‘Wedding March’ for the recessional walk out of the church.

But you did say you wanted my ‘unvarnished truth’ so allow me the small luxury of an arm chair rant from the Coronavirus self-isolation of my Paris apartment.

Of the two I would definitely ditch the Wagner piece. Please don’t misunderstood me. I am a huge fan of Wagner’s music - like any true Wagnerian I have taken more than one pilgrimage to Beyreuth - but in this case playing Wagner’s music would show a frightful ignorance of the meaning behind the ‘Bridal Chorus’ piece.

I don’t know why more people haven’t picked up on this but I’ve always found it a terribly odd piece to play at a wedding especially as it originates from Wagner’s masterful opera, Lohengrin.

Wagner came upon the opera's inspiration around 1845 when he took interest in the legend of the Holy Grail through the poems of Wolfram von Eschenbach and the anonymous epic of Lohengrin. Composed by 1848, Lohengrin features "Bridal Chorus" as the prelude to a very short-lived, doomed marriage between Elsa and Lohengrin.

The famous ‘Bridal Chorus’ is lustily sung by women of the bridal party serenading Elsa to the bridal suite after the wedding in Act III. Elsa is not allowed to know her true knight’s true name and identity. But this is a romantic German opera and so of course Lohengrin is found out with dire consequences for all. A sad Lohengrin ends up revealing that he is in fact a knight of the Grail and son of King Parsifal, sent to protect an unjustly accused woman. The laws of the Holy Grail say that Knights of the Grail must remain anonymous. If their identity is revealed, they must return home. Lohengrin is lead back to the castle of the Holy Grail. Elsa is grief stricken at being left behind. Poor Elsa (naturally) collapses and dies with a broken heart.

Charming.

To say it’s not the happiest of allusions of looking forward to a long life of wedded bliss would be an understatement.

However my objections against Wagner’s ‘Bridal Chorus’ goes beyond this. For one thing I find it rather too sombre - Oh dear God! Is marriage really like this?!

My main ire is that it overly used and therefore boring to listen to. And when one is bored the mind wanders.

In my case, without sounding malicious, my mind just drifts to whispering mischievous lyrics under my breath that go like, “here comes the bride, big fat and wide, here comes the groom, skinny as a broom.” Try as I might I can never get those words out of my silly mind whenever I hear the organ music playing “Here come’s the bride.” Not my finest hour.

Now Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’ is different beast entirely. Beast being the operative word as we are dealing with Pagan deities.

Typically used in church wedding recessionals, the ‘Wedding March’ piece has sparked controversy due to its literary origins. The Prussian monarch Friedrich Wilhelm IV commissioned Mendelssohn to compose incidental music for many pieces that were based upon Greek mythology and tragedy in order to revive the genre of literature and performance. Among his commissions, in 1843 Mendelssohn composed a setting for William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream; the setting comprises twelve musical numbers and a finale. The plot of Shakespeare's play focuses on a pagan god and goddess and is filled with fairies, magic, and fantasy. Due to the piece's pagan, fantastic inspirations, some puritanical leaders and musicians - particularly in Roman Catholic churches - have found the piece to be inappropriate for a Christian religious ceremony. In its defence at least Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream was a comedy with a happy ending.

If you’re feeling traditional rather than puritanical then the joyous Mendelssohn ‘Wedding March’ might still be a great option either as a processional or recessional.

If you’re looking for options outside of either Wagner and Mendelssohn then it’s really a matter of exercising good taste alongside what suits the personal tone of your wedding.

Off the top of my head I keep coming back to Johann Sebastian Bach.

Bach’s many cantatas and fugues seem to tick all the boxes. In particular there is Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (derived from the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, "Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life”). There is also the Toccata and Fugue in D minor ‘Dorian’ BWV 538 and the Toccata and Fugue in F Major, BWV 540. Arioso in A flat for solo piano from Cantata No. 156 "Ich steh`mit einem Fuss im Grabe is softly elegant. A particular favourite piece of mine is Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202, the ‘Wedding Cantata’. Of course many would point out that Bach’s Ave Maria would be perfect for a processional but I would think twice about that. As beautiful as the piece is it is about the Virgin Mary after all and you may invite unwanted speculation from your guests if you are (cough) chaste.

Trumpet Tune in D by Jeremiah Clarke is a little more festive. Or consider his more famous Trumpet Voluntary ‘The Prince of Denmark's March’.

Charles-Marie Widor was a fine composer and his Toccata (from Symphony for Organ No. 5) is spiritually intense for traditional organ music.

Eugène Gigout's famous Grand Chœur Dialogué might appeal to you as well.

G.F. Handel’s Water Music Suite - Air has a graceful and calming tone. The Arrival of The Queen of Sheba (Solomon) HWV 67 is upbeat and was made for a processional.

Beethoven’s Für Elise is perfect to calm last minute panic attacks before you go up the aisle.

And how can one forget Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?

The Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, K. 525 or more commonly known as Eine kleine Nachtmusik KV. 525 - II. Romanze: Andante is a beautiful melody familiar to many and sets a soothing tone. Ave verum corpus, K.618 is profoundly spiritual and lifts your hearts up to the angels. ‘Alleluia’ from ‘Exsultate, jubilate’ is wonderful if you can get your hands on a competent soprano. If you are feeling more adventurous then the Spanish Wedding March from The Marriage of Figaro which might be to your taste.

Elgar’s Salut d'Amour, Op. 12 is soft, inviting and makes one feel you’re in some 19th Century romance novel set at court.

Elgar finished the piece in July 1888, when he was romantically involved with Caroline Alice Roberts, and he called it Liebesgruss ('Love's Greeting') because of Miss Roberts' fluency in German. When he returned home to London on 22 September from a holiday at the house of his friend Dr. Charles Buck, in Settle, he presented it to her as an engagement present. The dedication was in French: à Carice. 'Carice' was a combination of his wife's names Caroline Alice, and was the name to be given to their daughter born two years later.

Edvard Grieg’s Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6 is magnificently playful.

Jean-Joseph Mouret’s Rondeau from Sinfonie de Fanfares is a beautiful Baroque piece. What’s a wedding without trumpets that could be heard all the way into the heavens?

Gluck’s Dance of the Blessed Spirits from his Orfeo et Euridice can be an elegant choice to do a recessional. Perfect for sensitive souls.

Gabriel Fauré’s Pavane, Op. 50 is sublime. I can never get tired of listening to it. Would make a worthy piece as a processional.

I would also throw into the mix Gaetano Donizetti’s ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ (A furtive tear) is the romanza from Act II of his delightful opera L'elisir d'amore.

It is sung by Nemorino (a tenor) when it appears that the love potion he bought to win the heart of his dream lady, Adina, works. Nemorino is in love with Adina, but she is not interested in a relationship with an innocent, rustic man. To win her heart, Nemorino buys a love potion with all the money he has in his pocket. That love potion is actually a cheap red wine sold by a traveling quack doctor, but when he sees Adina weeping, he knows that she has fallen in love with him, and he is sure that the "elixir" has worked. It may not fit your idea of a processional but I would try and use it some where in your wedding - perhaps at the reception.

I feel guilty about trashing on Wagner and Mendelssohn so I will leave you with two final thoughts. Reconsider Wagner’s opera Lohengrin. Forget the Bridal Chorus but instead listen to the chorus ‘Gesegnet soll sie schreiten’ in Act II. The various horns give this chorus a dreamlike quality and you feel like you are floating on air. Mendelssohn’s On Wings of Song is a powerful and poignant piano piece and quite suitable to play as your guests away your arrival in church.

I am sure there are other great classical music pieces that I have neglected to mention but others reading this might give their thoughts in the comments below.

If knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, then wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. So give careful and considered thought to what music you throw together into the mix as your church wedding processional and recessional.

Congratulations again and I hope it’s a special day for both of you and your families and friends.

Thanks for your question.

#question #wedding #music #wedding music #classical #tradition #church wedding #processional #recessional #personal #bio

37 notes · View notes

thefirstcourtesan · 5 years

Text

The Royal Recap: A Tale of Two Houses, Chapter 1

Hello all! It’s time for my thoughts and reactions to the first two chapters of The Royal Masquerade. Most weeks I will have this out earlier than Friday, but as many of you know, I was way from Friday to Wednesday and am playing catch up.

I loved The Crown and the Flame. Loved it so much. I do like the Royal Romance, but it was the TC&TF connection that has me so excited about this book, a return to teh world of teh Five Kingdoms and the first Choices characters I ever fell in love with. I play wth two devices so my recaps note that. I don’t search out other playthroughs though, this is just based on my own play and reaction. I will point out connections to other books and my random thoughts and so on. I also don’t necessarily go chronologically, if a point comes up twice, I will discuss it all at once.

So with that settled, let’s start!

The book tells us that our story is taking place in 1600 A.D in the Kingdom of Cordonia, so 400 years before modern events and a later comment about it being 300 years since humans had magic makes me think it is probably roughly 400 years since the events of TC&TF, putting us at the mid-point between the two lores. More on that later.

But first, we have to choose what we look like! 5 faces and 3 of them are from OH. Oh hello again, I think we are all sick of you. One is from ACOR and the 5th is new. I have to choose two, so I chose the ACOR face and the new one. We also have to choose a name and a house. Here are the choices for house:

I am a little salty that we couldn’t choose to be a Nevrakis 😂 as that was my number one hope for this book. Oh well. I guess I’ll choose from these three.

I chose House Rosario on one playthrough and House Everhart on the other. Meet my MCs, Lady Viola of House Rosario and Lady Livia of House Everhart:

Both names were chosen for a reason, one as a nod to one of my favorite Shakespeare plays (and a fitting one I think) and the other a reference to my own fanfic canon.

Now, to the story, we start while dancing with a mysterious stranger. The game asks us if we are interested in men, women, or both. We will see later that this choice impacts the gender of the LIs, which is a neat way of blending the sexuality choice of TE with the LI gender choice of Perfect Match/High School Story: Class Act/Platinum.

I chose interested in men on one device (Livia) and both on the other (Viola). Interesting note, I got blonde male Hunter as my dance partner in both, though he is obviously not identified yet. There is some flirting and they lean in for a kiss and then... We are rudely interrupted.

Turns out it was just a dream and we are brought to the present and the library where the MC works under the stern Head Librarian Kana. We learn that we were raised in a respected family, but given to the library. Given the nasty atttude of our aunts when we meet them, I am going to guess that happened when our parents died. But for now, back to the drudgery of writing up manuscripts on soil samples.

We are interrupted again, but this time not by Master Kana, instead it is a pretty noblewoman, who we quickly learn is our big sister Annalise. She quickly tells us that she is here to whisk us away from the library and sneak us into the Royal masquerade ball! Alright, sis, I already love you. I love her even more when she firmly puts Kana in his place before whisking us away.

She takes us home to the family estate and we reveal we have been away from some time. As soon as we get inside, we are introduce to our aunts Zya and Elise. Zya is terrible and sour and hates us, she is the one who reveals that the MC is an “adopted stray” and I am sure she is the one who gave the MC to the library. Elise doesn’t seem as bad.

Annalisa has no patience for Zya’s nonsense and also reminds her that she is the head of the family and that she wants the MC by her side. You rock Annalisa and I love you already! Zya backs down and Annalisa whisks is away to get ready for the ball.

Upstairs we meet Vasco, an older gentleman who seems to work for the family and is the last member of the household (at least for now) and we are presented with a magic mirror. Side note, I love this, becuase I have always had strong Snow White vibes from TRR and my MC Eleanor and the magic mirror just ads to that and I love it.

We learn that there are a few magical objects left in the world and that only the noble families posses them and that Queen Kendra has gifted this mirror to our house! We also learn the names of the other royal houses: Vescovi, Fierro, Beaumont, and Nevrakis. At some point I am going to sit down and figure out how they match up to the family’s of the Five Kingdoms and modern day Cordonia. So far the only consistent between the three Books is our beloved Nevrakis family.

So this magic item makes clothes appear out of nowhere (for diamonds of course), I guess this is what you do when you don’t have boutiques in every noble residence 😂. We get our first diamond dress option and it is the same one we were wearing in the dream at the beginning. TRR did this too, let us wear a dress in teh flashforward at the beginning of the book and then make us pay for it later. At least this time it is a dream. If we don’t like that dress, we are given a free black dress provided by Vasco.

The free dress is actually very nice. The diamond dress is too, but it is so close to Aster colours and that is the house I didn’t choose so that annoys me a little. But I do love the jewelled belt and I have always adored that shade of blue (it was the color of my bridesmaid dresses). Interesting, the free dress is very similar to Vasco’s outfit and I don’t think that is a coincidence. I ended up choosing the diamond dress for Livia and the free one for Viola.

After we choose our outfit, we talk a little bit with Annalisa and Vasco. Annalisa promises to free the MC from the drudgery of the library and we learn that our house is about to be announced as the newest noble house. Apparently our parents made lots of money and Annalisa has charmed the queen and the result is that we are being granted official status and the power and influence that goes with it.

We travel to the ball and then we are introduced to Queen Kendra, though we don’t realize that is who it is at first. Kendra is very friendly to the MC and they have a brief chat about art and then we are whisked inside because there are other nobles waiting to greet Kendra.

The MC eagerly eats some bread (because they are starving her at the library) and Annalisa generteases her about it, before departing to find a bed mate for the night. Between Annalisa and Hunter (as we will soon see), we get the impression that Cordonian court is very sexually liberal, which is awesome. I am putting PB on notice that I expect my MC to be able to indulge as well, no waiting a whole book for a kiss.

The MC heads to the food table (good plan) but is distracted by a gorgeous person in a sun mask who is being fawned over by noblewomen. However, despite their admirers, we are the one who catches their eye and we get the chance to choose their appearance (and gender, if you picked you are interested in both). I picked Asian male for Viola and white male for Livia. (Note- From this point on, I will be referring to them as male because both mine are).

This mysterious noble in the sun mask is the same one from our dream (we’ll potentially 😂) and he flirts with us, ignoring his fawning audience in favour of us and he asks us to dance, telling us to meet him on the dance floor at the beginning of the next song. But before we can, it is time to meet our next LI.

We have attracted the attention of a mysterious person in a moon mask, who seems to realize that we don’t belong. We get the chance to customize their appareance and I chose the black male for Viola and I chose the Hispanic/Mediterranean (I don’t know what race they are supposed to be) male for Livia. (note- Like with Hunter, from this point forward I will be referring to them as male).

He asks us for our invitation, but we deflect him and there is a chance for some flirting before he asks us to dance. We now choose who to dance with. Livia chooses to dance with the man in moon mask and Viola with the man in the sun mask.

Both men take being rejected well and then we begin dancing with our chosen partner. The conversation is similar but not the same. The man in the sun mask is smoother, more flirtatious while the man in the moon mask is a little more reserved, as if he is unaccustomed to this kind of thing. The man in the sun mask lifts the MC, while the man in the moon mask dips her.

I really like this scene and how it differs between the two men to accommodate their personalities, because it lets you get a feel for them. Both want to know who the MC is, but they approach it differently, with the man in the sun mask desperately curious and the man in the moon mask more suspicious/intrigued and more direct.

The dance ends and the man in the moon mask comments he still knows little about the MC, while their is a crowd ready to pounce on the man in the sun mask who is unwilling to let hte MC go just yet. Both men suggest that the MC join them on the balcony to continue their dance and we have our first diamond scene!

Again, the diamond scene is similar, but not identical. Again, the man in the sun mask is very comfortable and very charming, while the man in the moon mask is more reserved but very observant. In both cases, you dance and then the masked man tries to guess your identity. The man in the sun man guesses foreign noble (though if you tell him the truth, he is not surprised) while the man in the moon mask accurately guesses who you are. Then it is your chance to guess who he is, if you choose “noble from important house”, the man in the sun mask agrees and the man in the moon mask demurs, but both refuse to name their house, saying it changes how people see them.

The two of you admire the view from the balcony, his hand covering yours, and then it is time for you to remove your masks. Both men seem to be quite impressed by the MC’s appearance and in both cases, they are about to kiss her when they are interrupted by Vasco (who I am so suspicious of, dude is up to something).

Apparently, Annalissa is about to give the Queen the wrong invitation. So we say goodbye to our mystery man, though we do get a name. You can choose their name, though the defaults are Hunter and Kayden. I kept Hunter (becuase I am sure it is a nod to Dominic Hunter) but changed Kayden to Dante on both devices and will be referring to him as such.

We hurry to the throne room, but find two dead guards and get there just as an assassin plunges a knife into Queen Kendra! The Queen advises for us to flee with her dying breath and the assassin threatens us. The assassin reminds me of the shadows from TC&TF and that makes me wonder who sent them, a foreign power or someone within Cordonia? Right now, we have bigger worries, because our sweet sister is lying unconscious on the floor!

And end chapter one.

I thought this was a great start, it introduced the world and set the tone of one of glitz and glamour but also secrets and a darker side. I feel like that may be what this book is about, about everything that lurks Heath the glittering surface of court and I am here for it.

Also, visually this is such a beautiful book. The background, the characters, the gowns, everything is so beautiful. I love period pieces and I am already drawn into the world that they have built and I am so excited to be exploring this portion of Corodnian history!

#the Royal recap #the royal masquerade #playchoices

47 notes · View notes

radiantseraphina · 5 years

Text

@command-el Your post with your OC going to Elise for love advice was so adorable that it inspired me to think about how Elise finally confessed her love to Bikaia, the most oblivious man ever born. I think this also serves as proof that I ought to be writing regency romance or something instead of fantasy YA novels set around colleges.

Elise crouched along the riverbank, half-hidden by trees, and carefully reached for the pile of discarded clothes before her. Her eyes darted towards the lake and—more pertinently—at the place where her lord had disappeared. King Bikaia emerged a few moments later, his skin sparkling with diamond-like drops of lake-water. Most Dreamlanders didn’t swim, and the few who did were poor countrymen and women. Bikaia was the exception. And like most of the few people who swam, Bikaia swam only in his trousers. The first time Elise had stumbled upon him by accident. This was the second time she’d found him swimming.

It wasn’t an accident.

Had anyone asked, Elise would have insisted that she appropriately kept her eyes at the back of her king’s head and that she most definitely wasn’t taking in the shapes of his body and the scars he’d patiently and softly explained when Elise, having never seen a royal man’s bare torso—much less one with scars—had gasped. Her face had flushed with embarrassment, and she’d stumbled over her apologies. Her lord had been so gracious.

He told her about the small scar at the base of his spine, so small and faint that Elise hadn’t seen it even after Bikaia pointed it out. Elise wondered if the scar was even really there or just something that Bikaia felt and imagined was there. After being enslaved by the wizard Necrodeus, Bikaia had tried stabbing his captor, and after his attempt failed to incapacitate the wizard, Necrodeus had taken a dagger and sliced across the base of Bikaia’s spine. The dagger had been cursed or poisoned, leaving a wound that made Bikaia feverish and delirious for a week or more. Bikaia had sounded so ashamed of that scar, as if he were somehow to blame for his own imprisonment and torture. And his soft admission that he’d stopped fighting as hard after that because he’d feared being hurt had broken Elise’s heart.

And there was the small, clustering of scars near his collarbone, where Dark Matter Swordsman had shattered his clavicle, and Bikaia’s scream of pain had sent Galacta Knight, so calm and even-tempered, into a rage so terrible that the knight had nearly become Galacta Knight Soul. After the swordsman’s defeat, Galacta Knight had swept to Bikaia’s side and held him in her arms and petted his hair. Goddess, Bikaia’s heart ached so badly for Galacta Knight and the tender way she’d always treated him.

There was the small star-shaped branding over Bikaia’s right hip. It was a wound left by Zero, one that had taken so long to heal and one that might have never healed were it not for Galacta Knight’s knowledge of medicine. And after Zero was defeated, the Kingdom of Traumwald rose from the ashes of her ravaged tribes, and Bikaia became their first ally.

And there was a tiny scar on Bikaia’s shoulder, left by Zero-Two. It had been a cursed wound, and Bikaia might have bled out if a Patchlandic knight and a Traumwaldian sorceress hadn’t pulled him from the battlefield, sewn the wound closed, and cleansed it before returning Bikaia, exhausted and hungry and thirsty, once more to battle. In the end, Bikaia had emerged victorious as he always did, but his dreams were haunted for years thereafter.

And Bikaia’s abdominal muscles were still bruised and branded from his battles with Galacta Knight, with Landia, and then, with Dark Nebula. Noble Bikaia, who had fought so hard for Dreamland’s peace and would forever bear the marks of that. Most of Bikaia’s smiles seemed forced after that, and persistent, dark circles had taken up residence beneath his eyes. Although Elise hadn’t mentioned it, she remembered being imprisoned in her own mind, and she remembered Bikaia on his knees begging to take her place as Dark Nebula’s host. Elise remembered, too, all the other degrading things Dark Nebula had considered making Bikaia do, just to see how much he was willing to do to save an innocent person.

Unlike some, Elise didn’t think Bikaia’s suffering made him some tortured, romantic hero. She didn’t even think that Bikaia’s suffering had made him a better man or even a man in need of being healed. But Elise thought he was very brave to fight for Dreamland like he did, and she thought he must be lonely. And maybe, while she could never cure or fully understand her dear lord’s trauma, she could be someone who could listen.

When his sad, winter-blue eyes met hers, Elise wondered how it had taken her so long to realize just how handsome her lord was. “Elise!” Bikaia exclaimed, the name barely distinguishable with the force of his laughter.

He so seldom laughed anymore.

Elise sat, adjusting the skirts of her pale blue dress to reveal a tiny sliver of her calf over the top of her boots. “Didn’t I warn ya that some lovestruck maiden was gonna steal your clothes if you kept goin’ on these morning swims, Your Majesty?” she asked.

Bikaia pulled himself up and let his forearms rest on the grassy bank; the rest of him remained in the water. Elise may have given him a rather indecent look, even though she could see very little with him positioned like that. “You did, indeed, warn me,” Bikaia replied.

“D’you also recall you sayin’ that you’d prolly have to pay that maiden some favor to keep from losin’ all yer dignity and traipsin’ back to the castle in only your trousers?” Elise asked.

And Elise would definitely derive no enjoyment from watching that. None whatsoever.

Bikaia offered the merest hint of smile; it didn’t reach his eyes. “I may have also said that, yes,” he conceded.

“Y’did say it,” Elise assured him.

“Ah,” Bikaia said, his smile a little more genuine. “I suppose that means I’m at your mercy, then. Please, be gentle with me, Elise. I beg you show restraint with your request.”

“My papa’s been on me about this marriage business,” Elise said. “Y’know I’m gettin’ to that unsellable age, Your Majesty.”

Bikaia nodded thoughtfully, never casting any judgment. “You wish for me to arrange a match for you, then?” he asked. “Have you spoken to your father about this?”

“My father is very indulgent and enlightened, but I think he’s…well, he kinda doubts that the object of my affections is gonna return mine.”

Bikaia looked almost comically offended. “Really? I can scarcely imagine a man who wouldn’t love you,” he said.

Elise laughed. “We both know that ain’t true, Your Majesty.”

“You’re quite right. A cowardly man might be threatened by you,” Bikaia said, “But I doubt you’d ever be interested in such a foul creature.”

“Yer very kind, Your Majesty,” Elise said.

“Only because Galacta Knight taught me how to be,” Bikaia said. “She was the noblest woman I’ve ever met. And I would consider myself Goddess-blessed if even a fragment of her many virtues was present in me.”

“I think—no, I know—we can see more than a fragment of it,” Elise said.

Bikaia’s eyes seemed to brighten a bit. “Thank you. Who did you have in mind for your engagement?” he asked. “I’ll certainly arrange it if I can.”

Nova’s grace, had there ever been such a thoughtful, lovely man?

“Well, I wanna marry someone who’ll let me rule at their side. I ain’t willin’ to just sit back an’ do nothin’. And my papa’s been considering Prince Elden of Seventopia for me,” Elise said, “An’ I told ‘im I’ve got my eyes on a greater prize.”

Despite Bikaia’s enthusiasm for championing women, his fervor hadn’t quite influenced the monarchy of Seventopia, but Prince Eldin cared enough about his reputation and was politically savvy enough to be kind to a wife, especially if maltreatment risked drawing Bikaia’s ire. Marrying him was a good choice for Elise. He was about her age, handsome, and he could carry a conversation. He just wasn’t the man Elise really wanted.

“So you need another prince,” Bikaia mused.

“Yeah. Or maybe a king,” Elise replied.

“Ah, King Larvara,” Bikaia said, nodding. “I’ve always liked him. I suppose that would make strategic sense, although I was under the impression your sister Lilith was—”

“I ain’t interested in the king of Floralia, Your Majesty.”

Bikaia furrowed his brow, clearly trying to puzzle out which monarch Elise desired. It really shouldn’t have been so difficult of a task, as Bikaia and Larvara were the only unmarried kings in all the realms. “You may have to be more explicit, Elise. I’m not—”

“Dearest, there’s you.”

She’d never called him an endearment before, and without warning, Bikaia’s mouth was against hers. Bikaia quite clearly had no experience in kissing anyone, and he seemed determined to compensate with zeal. Elise buried her hands in his hair and then trailed her fingers over his shoulders. Elise could feel her balance becoming less sure, and she really hoped she didn’t fall off the bank and into the water with Bikaia. But even that worry wasn’t quite enough to make Elise pull away.

Eventually, Bikaia broke the kiss. His eyes were bright and his face flushed. “I haven’t even courted you yet,” he said.

A pleasant, breathless warmth spread through Elise. “I ain’t gonna be happy if we go back an’ you spend months smilin’ at me ‘cross rooms and chastely kissing my hand,” Elise said, “And I ain’t gonna be happy with you runnin’ off and goin’ on quests in my name. I want you to pledge yerself to me now, Bikaia.”

It was only the second time she’d ever addressed him by his name, and Bikaia blossomed as if caught in some profound spell cast by those three syllables. His face softened and glowed; color rose to his cheeks. “Nothing would make me happier,” Bikaia said. “I promise I’ll be a good, faithful husband, and I’ll treat you well. Very well. Magnificently well. Better than any husband has ever treated his wife!”

As if Elise would have ever believed otherwise.

#bikalise? elikaia? elisaia?#dreamland university redux #sera tries fanfic!#tumblr. please don't mess up my beautiful spacing #/long post

14 notes · View notes

crusherthedoctor · 5 years

Text

Sonic Villains: Sweet or Shite? - Part 11: THE MONSTERS OF THE WEEK

There are some villains I like. And there are some villains I don’t like. But why do I feel about them the way I do? That’s where this comes in.

This is a series of mine in which I go into slightly more detail about my thoughts on the villains in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and why I think they either work well, or fall flat (or somewhere in-between). I’ll be giving my stance on their designs, their personalities, and what they had to show for themselves in the game(s) they featured in. Keep in mind that these are just my own personal thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions! I don’t bite. :>

Anyhow, for today’s installment, we’ll be cancelling our flight to Tokyo as we look up at the impressive size of a particular recurring brand of foe in Sonic's universe: the Monsters of the Week. (Excluding Chaos, who we've already covered.)

So for reasons that should be obvious, this edition of Sweet or Shite is going to be a little different. Seeing how we’re covering more than one villain - and since you can only say so much about characters who aren’t really characters - this will instead be a series of mini-reviews, one after another, for each monster. I figured this was the best course of action since the alternative would be to go back and forth constantly between the monsters, and that would just be messy.

Also, none of these guys have much in the way of personality aside from “DESTROY FUCKING EVERYTHING GRRRRRRR”, so I’m not even going to bother analysing their “personalities”. Everything else will be the same as usual, of course.

And yes, I’m treating Iblis and Solaris as individual monsters. Because they barely have anything in common despite being the same beast.

Right then, we’ve got a lot of these king-size bastards to cover. Let’s go.

------

MONSTER #1: THE BIOLIZARD

The Gist: In the endgame for Sonic Adventure 2, the late Professor Gerald Robotnik was revealed to have programmed his Space Colony A.R.K. to crash down to the planet and destroy it should the Eclipse Cannon be equipped with all seven Chaos Emeralds. The heroes and villains teamed up to combat this threat (thus completely negating the game's Hero VS Dark selling point), and together, they made their way to the cannon's core.

What they didn't expect however was for their target to be guarded. In order to stop the A.R.K. from falling, they were forced to deal with the Biolizard, Gerald's original attempt at creating the Ultimate Lifeform before he decided to take a page from the Sonic OC booklet with his second attempt, Shadow. Thanks to seeing the error of his ways courtesy of one Amy Rose, Shadow himself confronted his older sibling, and Knuckles used the Master Emerald to cancel out the power of the Chaos Emeralds, thus preventing the A.R.K's collision...

Just kidding. As if to laugh at the very idea of Knuckles actually having a useful role in this game beyond treasure hunting fodder, the Biolizard immediately used Chaos Control to assume direct control of the A.R.K. in order to continue its collision course. Sonic and Shadow had no choice but to go Super, and with their powers combined, the Biolizard was beaten for good, the A.R.K. was stopped once and for all, and Shadow died but not really.

Sonic and Shadow were hailed as heroes. Even though everyone else contributed too. But apparently, only the heroes with super forms are allowed to be on the President's desk.

The Design: The Biolizard is a failed prototype, and it shows.

He's gonna sweep them bitches off their feet with a face like that.

Surprisingly, I actually dig his design. It's a bit messy, sure, but that works to his benefit in this case, since as a failed creation who demands a life support system just to function, it's justified within the context. It's a cool mesh of organic and technology, and it perfectly demonstrates the horrors that can come with trying to play God and creating life.

Unfortunately, his final form is underwhelming. He "fuses" with the A.R.K, but don't get your hopes up. It's the same design as before, only... well...

Yeah. It's just... right up there. All the way through.

The Execution: The Biolizard technically doesn't come out of nowhere, since there's a Dark Story cutscene that foreshadows his existence. But he still feels very WTF in spite of that. This adventure involving G.U.N, Dr. Eggman, and a feud between two hedgehogs, and this thing is the final challenge? It doesn't help that despite the relation, he feels very disconnected to Shadow's story when compared to Gerald, Maria, etc. (And yet ironically, he's the most interesting part IMO.)

So in regards to proper build up for a final boss, he's a bit shit. But since I like his design, and since his theme music is kickass, I'll give him a little step up. Just a little one.

Crusher Gives the Biolizard a: Thumbs Sideways!

------

MONSTER #2: IBLIS

The Gist: In the future, everything was a shitehole. This was due to a terrible beast known as Fire Chaos Iblis, who spread his penchant for destruction everywhere he went, leaving behind nothing but ruins in the process. A young hedgehog named Silver, and his friend named Blaze, have fought him for a very long time at the expense of Blaze's actual backstory, but nothing they could do kept Iblis down for long. Desperate to save their world, they followed the advice of comic relief character Mephiles the Dark, which was to find the so-called Iblis Trigger of the past via time travel, and destroy him. That Iblis Trigger was none other than Sonic the Hedgehog himself.

Except not. Turns out the guy with no mouth and snake eyes named after Mephistopheles wasn't all that trustworthy, and was using Silver for his own purposes. Undaunted, Silver continued to do a bunch of things that meant little-to-nothing, before finally defeating Iblis for definite because... he was stronger this time, I guess?

But Zoinks, Scoob! He couldn't seal Iblis away! Luckily and unluckily for him, Blaze was able to do so, and with a few emotional parting words, she vanished from Silver's time to get ready for a better game stop the threat of Iblis. That's not the end of Iblis' story however, because as it turns out, he's only part of something even more destructive... Also, Silver and Blaze didn't achieve anything anyway since Mephiles unleashed Iblis in the present time after killing Sonic.

Lol.

The Design: Get ready for a trilogy of fatigue.

You have Phase 1, which is just a clump of lava with some arms:

Good at mix tapes though.

Phase 2 is a replica of his Iblis Worm minions, but bigger. That's it.

Even he looks tired.

And for Phase 3, he finally realises he should probably try to look more worthy of a main baddie, but it still falls flat due to his ridiculous anchor feet:

"~Lava bone's connected to the fire bone~"

On the whole? Wank.

The Execution: He's from Sonic '06. What do you think?

Outside of being a lame version of Chaos, what else is there to say?

Crusher Gives Iblis a: Thumbs Down!

------

MONSTER #3: SOLARIS

The Gist: Remember Iblis? The guy I just talked about? Well he wasn't brought into existence as Iblis, but rather Solaris, the flame of hope. A time-dwelling entity of sorts, the kingdom of Soleanna had worshipped him for as long as they've lived, for reasons that can best be described as "fuck knows". In particular, Soleanna's ruler, the Duke, was devoted to harnessing the power of Solaris for the sake of being able to control time itself, and thus bring his wife back from the dead.

Sure enough, he joined her once more... by ironically getting himself killed in an accident during one of his experiments on Solaris, which also happened to split the entity into two different beings: the raw power named Iblis, and the subconscious named Mephiles the Dark. Before he died however, the Duke made the brave and heroic sacrifice of sealing Iblis - the fiery demon of death - within his own daughter, with the added deal of her never being able to cry unless that demon gets free, because who cares, she was adopted anyway.

She's guaranteed to be a strong queen if she can withstand a lifetime's worth of severe heartburn.

Anyway, the Duke got a Game Over, Silver the Hedgehog left a Chaos Emerald in his daughter's presence at the expense of the overall Sonic the Hedgehog continuity, and that was that. Ten years later, Sonic and Eggman had a tussle in Soleanna that I'm not even going to bother talking about because it's that unimportant, and eventually the aforementioned Mephiles gives Sonic a Game Over, causing Princess Elise to cry and thus release Iblis. Mephiles, the shadowy hedgehog, then uses the Chaos Emeralds to rejoin with Iblis, the fire lizard, to become Solaris, the bird made of light... Okay then.

Solaris threatens to consume all of time and space, but before he can do that, his decision to throw the Chaos Emeralds away like disused wrappers comes back to bite him in the ass, because through his friends' wise decision to collect them all, Sonic is brought back to life, and in his super form at that. Together, with Super Shadow and Super Silver, they kick Solaris' shit in, until it reverts to its original form of a tiny flame, and after some hesitance born from the sorrow of losing her biggest friendship, Elise ultimately makes the right decision and blows out the flame, thus creating a new future where Solaris - and the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 in general - never happened.

Does that mean the Duke is alive? What does Soleanna worship now that Solaris never existed? Who knows, who cares, I'm already getting bored talking about these guys.

The Design: Unlike with Iblis, I actually like Solaris' forms, since there's an attempt to give them some elegance rather than just making them generically ugly. Even if Phase 1 looks as though he's got a steering wheel on his back...

Literally at the helm.

And Phase 2 looks like it could be desecrated by the Dark Lord Ganondorf at any moment...

"Who wants a hug?"

But overall? I like them.

The Execution: It's still '06, so his chances aren't looking good. I WOULD give Solaris some leeway since like with the Biolizard, I like his designs and his music (though I'm that weird guy who prefers Phase 1's music)...

Buuuuuut he's still the endgame of an absolutely shitty and plothole-infested narrative. And he's technically Mephiles, so...

Crusher Gives Solaris a: Thumbs Down!

------

MONSTER #4: IFRIT

The Gist: Iblis got its own ripoff.

That ripoff's name was Ifrit.

It was in Sonic Rivals 2.

Eggman Nega sought to unleash it.

And it liked to feed on Chao, allegedly.

......

So anyway, how's your sex life?

The Design: Despite being the younger sibling, it's design is arguably better than that of Iblis. It's still nothing amazing mind you, but it's got a Firebird thing going on, so that alone makes it more pleasing to look at than any of Iblis' forms. And if it were in a fully 3D game rather than on the PSP, it would probably look a lot better with its visuals too.

Ifrit wants a belly rub!

The Execution: He shows up at the end to get killed.

Next.

Crusher Gives Ifrit a: Thumbs Down!

------

MONSTER #5: DARK GAIA

The Gist: One day, Dr. Eggman decided to have yet another go at controlling a giant monster. This resulted in the events of Sonic Unleashed, which started off with a bang when after a spectacle of action and destruction in the far reaches of space, Sonic was lured into a devilish trap by the wicked scientist. Using the negative energies of the Chaos Emeralds, Eggman fired a laser that literally broke the planet apart, in an attempt to unleash (HA!) the being sleeping within the planet's core: Dark Gaia.

Those negative energies also turned Sonic into a bizarre werewolf-hedgehog hybrid, which wasn't intentional on Eggman's part, but he dealt with him easily by letting him fall all the way down to the planet... along with the sapped Chaos Emeralds. Oops.

With the help of a strange little guy with amnesia named Chip, Sonic and his new alter-ego - the Werehog - went on a grand day out to find the Gaia Temples around the world, with the idea being to restore the Emeralds' energy one by one. All the while, Dark Gaia kept... existing, and Eggman tried to stop them. Eventually, it's revealed that Chip, bog standard comic relief that he is, was in fact Light Gaia all along, the fated nemesis of Dark Gaia. After all, you can't have dark without light, just as you can't have light without dark.

"I wish I knew how to quit you... and this boss fight."

Same song and dance from then on. Dark Gaia pops up, Sonic and Chip beat it, Gaia gets angry and transforms, then they beat it again with Super Sonic. Chip says goodbye as he prepares to sleep for nearly an eternity to keep Dark Gaia at bay, which could be seen as a metaphor for how I'm close to falling asleep for eternity due to how genuinely exhausting it is to talk about these non-characters.

The Design: I really do not like Dark Gaia's design. Outside of the purple tentacles, which are admittedly pretty cool, he's just a stick with eyes and teeth. That's all he is.

Nice nail polish, prick.

And when he becomes Perfect Ultra Mega Dark Gaia 2: The Return of Jafar, what does he transform into? ...A stick with MORE eyes and teeth.

"I'm never drinking Chaos Cola again, Chip."

So yeah. His design is boring. And he could do with eating more.

The Execution: Dark Gaia is at least set up from the beginning rather than showing up haphazardly towards the end, but that's about all the praise I can give it. Despite everything to do with Chip, the Gaia Temples, and the Gaia Manuscripts, there's still not nearly enough to make Dark Gaia truly stand out. It's the personification of the world's darkness, and it's involved in a cycle with Light Gaia... what else? What else is there for me to care about?

Also, its boss fight was the worst, and coming after the Egg Dragoon, it was like a slap in the face. Say what you will about the guy below, at least you can deal with him quickly.

Crusher Gives Dark Gaia a: Thumbs Down!

------

MONSTER #6: TIME EATER

The Gist: Young Sonic was on his merry way, then a time monster showed up to cause trouble... in time. Young Sonic was thus forced to team up with Older Sonic to combat this threat.

So they did.

......

At least Eggman was in control this time. Or Eggmen, rather.

"Did I ever tell you the time I wrote about how Sonic the Hedgehog had it pretty rough lately...?"

The Design: Not too bad, actually. Sure, it looks like a stereotypical ghost at first...

"WHAZAAAAAAAAPPPP"

...But once it's revealed to be mechanized by the Eggmen, we see its true, clockwork-esque form:

Might want to get those boils checked, buddy.

As a robotic Frankenstein abomination, I really like its time aesthetic, and its twitching and whirring, as if it's trying in vain to fight back against the Eggmen's control. Like the Biolizard, the context allows it to be a bit hideous, and it still looks cool despite that.

The Execution: Am I going to give the Time Eater a complete free pass just because it's the one that Eggman successfully controlled? No. I will freely admit that there was not enough to establish it in a way that felt satisfying, and some would say to a worse extent than Solaris or Dark Gaia.

But here's the thing: I'm more willing to let these things slide if the game isn't forcing me to try and care about it. Or to put it in another way, the plot of Sonic Generations may very much be an excuse plot in its purest form, and that will always be a shame, but that's actually why I don't mind this as much. Generations isn't pretending that the Time Eater is anything more than what it is. It's not hyping it up without being able to back its "lore" up. It's nothing more than the justification for why we're having this adventure. And since Eggman is the real baddie pulling the strings anyway, I look at Time Eater as a plot device used by Eggman, than as an actual entity of its own.

Note that I'm not saying this is ideal. I'd have loved it if Generations had more of a story, and I'd have loved it if Time Eater had more lore behind it to back it up. But I'm explaining why I'm not so harsh on it as I am with Dark Gaia or Iblis, who their respective plots tried so hard to make me care about as big bad threats, only for it to fail miserably due to how mind-numbingly boring they are. It's a lesser of two evils situation, and I'm just giving my stance on it.

Plus, again, I actually like Time Eater's design. And Eggman did succeed with it...

Crusher Gives Time Eater a: Thumbs Sideways!

------

So that’s it then. That’s your lot for today. Some of them are okay, most of them are crap, none of them are as good as Chaos. I apologise if this edition of Sweet or Shite felt a bit rushed or shoddy, but in my defense, it's hard to say much for these guys, and I try not to be too repetitive.

......

Here’s a Shadow for you.

#Sonic Villains: Sweet or Shite?#Opinion #Sonic the Hedgehog #The Biolizard #Iblis #Solaris #Ifrit #Dark Gaia #Time Eater

35 notes · View notes

asteraegis · 5 years

Text

that evandra fic lmao

So it’s set in a sort of “kingdom au”, which is basically the same rules of modern day where everyone is alive but it’s a fantasy medieval period. It isn’t as smutty as my edawale and fryeway fics because evie has class unlike edward but there is sex in it eventually. 3604 words

Tags are: wlw, mention of animal death, a fuckton of kissing, cunnilingus, metaphors like that one lesbian sea shanty in odyssey (it’s a dyke/hozier thing), evie crushing big motherfuckin time, kassandra being kassandra

The view outside my modest stained-glass window taunted me as I sat nearly consumed by my studies. Ink I swiped over while writing painted my right hand’s palm and little finger indigo, smudging my forehead as I tried to soothe a fierce headache.

I stood and opened the window, leaning out against its ledge, feeling the breeze play with my loose hair. The crisp air blowing in from the alpines and lush forest gave me a welcomed shiver, a nice change in comparison to the stuffy room I had been holed up in all morning.

“I have got to get out of here,” I muttered, stepping away from the sights and wiping my hands and face clean with a handkerchief.

Abandoning my satin sleepwear, I slipped into a cornflower blue linen gown, tugging the most comfortable sandals in my possession on and descending down stairs of marble, my small travel purse in hand. A walk would do me justice afore I went mad in these walls.

Coming toward the palace mess hall, I decided to grab myself a canteen and loaf of bread seasoned with rosemary, setting these items in my bag next to my leather back journal and dirk. As I left the room and began to make my way toward the doors, my brother that thinks himself to be a jester with the rights of a noble cut in my path.

“Well, well, well! What’s this? The kingdom’s recluse of a princess is leaving her chamber?” Jacob chaffed. “Did the books tell you to give them some space, Evie?”

I rolled my eyes. He really never would understand that with nobility comes more than swordfights and feasts.

“I just want to go for a stroll, Jacob,” I replied, ‘course my reply came out like a hiss as I pushed pass him.

“Like, out in the garden?”

“No, a bit farther, down by the stream.”

“Oooh, an adventure you’re set on! Hope your books can protect you from bears and wolves,” he sneered.

I swallowed as to keep my temper, knowing he just wanted to get a rouse out of me. Turning around with a forced smile, I said to him, “I have a dagger with me, Jacob. How about you see if Arno needs pestering, hm?”

“Hmph, if you’re that desperate to be alone, enjoy your stroll, sweet sister!”

Jacob left and as did I, at last escaping the palace’s walls. I exchanged brief ‘hellos’ with the other noblewomen, Aveline, Elise, and her majesty Amunet, who were having a spot of tea and gossip under a grand willow tree. I strode toward the ivy strangled gate, then went forth venturing down the old river-stone path. Small finches and doves made songs overhead while egrets scouted for salamanders in the bank’s reeds. Squirrels darted in front of me as I headed for my long-time favorite hideaway, a tiny spring hidden by willows, oaks, and looming boulders. I could hear the faint call of its humble waterfall, teasing my skin that longed to stand under the gentle flow. A scenic cove, just for me and plenty to sketch while I lay in a bed of clovers, or, better yet, I could wade in the calm waters naked and let nature shoo my stress away.

But alas my daydreaming was interrupted by a frantic young buck knocking into me as it dashed across the stream elsewhere. I glared at the deer from my spot on the ground, rising to my feet quickly when I laid my eyes on what he had been chased by. A lean, taupe-coated wolf stalked out of the shrubs toward me, seeming to decide I would make and easier meal than the deer. My hand whipped my dirk in front of me and I stood my ground, clutching the blade in my sweaty palms and doing my best not to appear afraid, my heart beating wildly. The wolf went to lunge and I stabbed my knife into its fur, missing a puncture on the animal as I found myself more focused on avoiding its claws. The beast came at me again, pouncing on top of me. I held it back away from my face with my forearms, its teeth biting inches from my nose. The wolf had swatted my measly blade out of my hand from its last attack and from this angle I was beginning to wonder if maybe I should have spent more time sparring with Jacob rather than cooped up at my desk or in the library.

Just as things began to appear bleak, the wolf yelped and fell over, staggering to its feet with a fresh arrow lodged in its neck. Another arrow pierced its chest, giving me time to grab my dirk and finish the mad dog off, panting while my eyes scanned the vicinity for who had helped me.

A tall, muscular woman with scarred olive skin appeared from the bushes, adorned with garments crafted from animal hide I’m sure she fashioned herself. She replaced her bow back behind her, drawing near me with an out stretched hand.

“Are you all right, milady?” she asked, standing over me.

I took her hand and she pulled me effortlessly upright. “I’m, uh, I’m fine, thank you,” I stammered out, taking a step back from her as I felt my cheeks flush from admiration, thankfulness, and her closeness.

“That’s good to hear. Judging by your gold circlet and dress’ dye, you’re one of the princesses from the palace over yonder, no?” she inquired as she picked my satchel from the ground.

“Yes, I was bored and wanted to visit the spring a little north of here,” I said, taking the purse and setting my blade away.

“Might I accompany you, then? To ensure your safety, your highness?”

My heart fluttered at the mere thought of spending time with this heaven-sent Amazonian-esque woman. “Yes! Yes, of course! Oh, and please, ‘your highness’ is sweet, but just call me Evie.”

She smiled warmly, her honey eyes ensnaring my gaze. “Thank you, miss Evie. My name is Kassandra, should you be curious to know.”

“Then many thanks to you, Kassandra.”

We got to the spring in no time. Really, I would have likely been fine alone, but it was nice sharing the path with her while she explained that she was a mercenary, paid by a tanner to collect fox pelts. She was searching this area for the little vulpine creatures when she heard the wolf growling. At the hideaway, the ethereal beauty felt even more fantastical with Kassandra’s presence. She stared in awe of the surrounding area while I shamelessly watched her skin become dotted by the mist’s droplets coming from the falls.

She turned to me with that same charming smile but with childlike wonder in her gaze. “I’m sorry, your high—Evie, do you mind if I stay with you for a bit longer? Please, this place is one of the loveliest views I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, not at all, Kassandra, I wouldn’t mind your presence. In fact, I have a rosemary loaf, should you be hungry and want to split it with me. It’s the least I can offer for your saving of my life,” I told her, doing my best not to appear desperate for her to stay.

“Really, Evie?” she was beaming from my answer. “I would love to share a meal with you!”

I couldn’t help but grin the entire time we ate together, her telling me that she came from the naval kingdom to the west and answering all the questions I asked about sea travel between bites.

“I’d love to go sailing someday,” I sighed finishing my half as she swallowed hers.

“Well, should your kingdom’s queen allow it, I would gladly petition to take you out,” she said, then hastily continuing with, “um, sailing, take you out sailing.”

It’s a wonder a woman could have such stunning charm, vast natural knowledge, and a kindhearted soul and still appear human by slipping up on her words. I leaned against the oak behind where we sat, giggling at her embarrassed expression. “I’m sure lady Amunet wouldn’t mind.”

Kassandra seemed glad to hear that, standing and facing the spring. “Um, would it be too awkward if I soaked in the water, miss Evie?”

Of course, I wouldn’t mind you being naked, I thought, Who would? “No, it’s fine if you do, Kassandra, please, go right on ahead.”

She thanked me, though it’s not like I own the spring and can dictate who is allowed to use it. I took my journal out of my bag to sketch the dragonflies dancing across lily pads and the rippling surface, but mainly to give Kassandra some privacy while she disrobed. Half way through drawing the body of the insect, my eyes wandered away from the paper and in her direction. She flipped her fur shawl off and unclasped her undershirt, revealing her back. Her skin was visibly sweaty, she must have been exploring for a while before coming across me. Next, she stepped out of her boots and pants, laying her clothes on a stone by the spring. Kassandra waded slowly into the water, moving her arms out to feel the cool, clear liquid swirl around her fingers. I couldn’t look away despite wanting to give her space, after all I had just met her. I found myself flipping to a blank page and sketch her figure as she wiped her hands over her body. I knew it was wrong to draw her nude without her consent, but I wanted to keep her image forever in my mind when I inevitably had to return to the palace and my dusty books. She unbraided her hair and dipped her head under the water. She flung her head back, her hair slinging sprinkles of beads across the surface.

I felt my cheeks warm. It was like watching a nymph play in a river, and I felt her aura pulling me toward her. I set the journal away and took off my sandals, Kassandra turning when she heard me rustling, the sunlight glistening off her wet chest and drenched locks. I gave a friendly smile to make myself feel less of a creep. “I think I might join you, Kassandra, it is terribly humid out and the spring is taunting me.”

It’s true I was being taunted, but it wasn’t by the spring. No, this woman’s body was like a siren’s call, awakening lust with its silent song only your soul could hear.

“It does feel quite refreshing, Evie.”

I lifted my gown up and over my shoulders, pulling down my panties and folding them next to my shoes and purse. Kassandra moved to help me into the spring so I wouldn’t slip, though her standing so near with my hand in hers made me feel light headed, her image clouding my mind. Her chivalry is nice and all, but this might get dangerous if she keeps it up.

The water embraced me, though I ached for the hand I was holding to clutch me instead. My thoughts flooded my common sense as I developed a dazed look in my eyes, staring down her wet frame. To rest my head against her neck, to feel her lips trail down my bosom, to press myself against her, to become one in this secret place. It was immoral of me to think of this as I had been betrothed to another who I loved, but he could never compare to her grace. She just held herself with an air of confidence, like she’s had eras of practice with women of all backgrounds, like she was a mythical creature that comes out whenever a woman heaves a melancholy sigh. I wish a gorgon would come and petrify us in this state so I could stand locked in Kassandra’s eyes with her for the next century. Better yet, to be a stone Kassandra carves so I could feel her press into my body day in day out and smooth me over and over until she’s done with me and I can stare at her without her notice.

“Uh, milady Evie, your hand.”

Her voice startled me and I flicked my eyes down, realizing I was still holding onto her. I released, blushing and staring into the water away from her. “Oh, oh my, I’m sorry about that.”

God, I’m such a dunce sometimes.

She chuckled. “It’s quite all right, dear, I don’t mind you staring.”

My eyes widened. She knows I’ve been staring at her this entire time, I thought, a hot feeling settling in my arms. Of course, she knows, I hadn’t managed to keep my eyes off her for long since she saved me. I’m such a harlot, I haven’t known her for longer than an hour, what am I doing?

“Kassandra, I’m sorry I’ve been lost on you for so long. I know I’m being rude, after everything you’ve done for me in this short time, I really shouldn’t be acting so stricken right now,” I was chagrinned, my desire for her drowning my senses.

She placed her palm to my shoulder, reaching around with her other hand to tilt my chin towards her, snagging my eyes in hers yet again. “Evie, I swear to you whatever you have been daydreaming about is nothing compared to what I yearn to do for you. You’re stunning, you’re intelligent, you’re sweet to me despite our class differences and short time being together, and you being ashamed of yourself for your mind makes you appear restrained. Let me help you release your tenseness; I promise to give you the attention you need.”

I was shocked, to say the least. That this, goddess, would want to treat me so. “Kassandra, I—”

She took both my wrists in her fingers and pulled me near. “Evie, I would build a shrine for you, I would sacrifice myself if it meant to stay with you forever in the afterlife, I want to worship you as the nobility you refuse to accept yourself as. Please, allow me to do this for you.”

This has to be a lucid dream, there is no way this woman is real, she can’t be serious right now, I thought. “Kassandra, you’re lying, you can’t actually want to—”

She leaned in and kissed me on my lips, holding me still for a moment before pulling back. “Did that feel like a lie, miss Evie?”

I’ll be honest, it didn’t. It felt like I had just passed away in my bed and cherubs were leading me to heaven. I closed my eyes for a moment then looked up at her. “Do that again. Everywhere.”

She shown a grateful smile and leaned into me again, our lips fitting together as she undid my hair and tossed my circlet to my things. Kassandra and I made out, our tongues touching at first on accident but then just because neither of us cared. We backed toward the small waterfall, it cascading down us as Kassandra ran her fingers through my hair. Losing a battle with my self-control, I found my arms wrapping around her neck and tugging her against me while I leaned against the wet stone. True, the shower and rocks were freezing, but her touch warmed me so, I could barely notice. She led me away, our lips not once parting, and laid me across a large horizontal stone that stuck out of the spring.

She pulled back for us to get proper breaths and Kassandra held my face in her left hand. “Evie, may I touch here?” she asked, gesturing toward my pelvis.

I nodded. “I did say everywhere.”

“Yes, of course, you’re right.” She lowered her face toward my neck, her breath tickling me. “Everywhere.”

She smelt like petrichor, so close to me, and I knew that today she’d ensure that, every time it rained, she would come to my memories. Her hands held my hips as she trailed her lips down my body like I had desired them to earlier. Kassandra licked at the water that clung to my breasts but didn’t stay fixated on them for too long like a man would, she knew exactly where she needed to be.

Her mouth continued down to my naval and then she spread my legs, a firm grip on both of my thighs. I moaned softly from her teasing kiss she left on my clitoris, her hot breath exciting me. Kassandra’s tongue started at the base of my vagina, coming slowly back up to where she had kissed. She circled it with the underside of her tongue, never lingering too long on one side. Her right thumb came down below her chin and rubbed my perineum, pushing down on it as she closed her lips around my clit. I felt my hips twitch; it had been so long since someone else did this for me. My hands reached down and clutched the back of her head, pulling her closer. I heard her chuckle, muffled against me. She knows that she has me now under the control of her mouth, flicking her tongue up and down like she was flipping a switch.

I felt a sense of hiraeth at her mercy. She had me biting my bottom lip, she could easily make me come quickly but she wanted to make sure she made this feeling last as long as possible. Never has anyone ate me slowly to savor their meal, it’s usually because they’re unsure what to do. I tangled my fingers in her chestnut hair, tilting my head back to moan, her sucking making me gasp.

“Oh, fuck,” I whispered under my breath and she decided it was time to finish me off.

I gasped, my pelvis tingling, my finger tips feeling like they had been burnt, they felt numb but not in a painful way. My toes curled, my clitoris trembling as she kept licking at me, not letting it come up for air. Arching my back from the stone, I wrapped my legs around her shoulders like I had before with my arms. I released her from my thighs’ hold after I steadied my breath and she came to kiss me again, her body over mine. I swung my arms and legs over her, pulling Kassandra down against my skin. She set herself so her thigh would rub against me again, taking one of my hands down to feel her. Kassandra was wet too, from more than the spring, I could feel her pulsing in my palm. I rubbed her clitoris between my fingers, her moaning into my mouth and her hand that get her propped up over me nearly slipping. It made me happy to know I was making her feel as I did earlier. She kept my hand steady on her, guiding my fingers to tell them exactly what she wanted. She backed off from kissing me as she came from my hand, her voice sounding so delicate doused in pleasure. Kassandra pressed her body against mine and kissed me again, this time I could tell it was to make up for her mouth not being able to say “thank you” at the moment.

She stood slowly and I sat up on the stone. She laughed, pointing toward the buck from earlier standing at the spring’s edge, sniffing at us from afar. “It appears we have a peeping tom.”

I giggled, moving to my feet, feeling that Kassandra had stolen part of my heart. The cool water around my pelvis made me shiver again, just not because it was cold. We waded hand in hand back to our belongings, the deer running off from us approaching. Kassandra and I got dressed and she kissed the top of my head.

“Would you mind if I walked you back to the palace’s gate, my princess?” she cooed in my ear.

“Of course not,” I entwined my fingers in hers. “And if you stay in the area, I’ll see about having you knighted in this kingdom, too. You deserve it after proving your ‘worthiness’ today.”

She snorted from her laughter which made me laugh too, leaning against her as she led me back down the path. The poor wolf from earlier was being scavenged by an eagle, which chirped at Kassandra as we passed it. I moved off of her when we neared the queen’s demesne as to not appear to any onlookers that I had been having a little affair while my fiancé was away. Luckily for us, the only person that saw us was the visiting Auditore prince, and he has plenty of scandals of his own to deal with.

I hugged her goodbye, Kassandra assuring me that this wouldn’t be the last time I see her, especially after I pointed out which window was mine with a wink. She kept her eyes on me until I had entered the palace and from outside my window, I could see her petting the eagle. She waved goodbye and walked off into the forest she came from. That night as I laid with my face in my pillow, I thought of her and decided to flip through my rough sketches of her. In my bag I discovered she had left a glove in my bag alongside one of the bird’s speckled feathers. I held them close to my chest, knowing that this night’s memory would last a lifetime, if not longer, then set them next to me in my bed, dreaming of Kassandra and all the things she did for me.

#i write #evandra #evie #kassandra #assassins creed #ac syndicate #ac odyssey #acod #acs #i talk #this is so gay oh my god i need to calm down #my lesbian is showing yall #evie frye #i might reblog my edward smuts so that they can be properly tagged too #since they are gone in my notes #lol anyway have fun with this sorry i used so many metaphors this reads like a hozier song #its 5:37pm #theres literally only one cuss word in this whole fic lol #this is what i do when i have essays due for class

19 notes · View notes

courage-a-word-of-justice · 5 years

Text

Summer debuts aplenty!

Demon Slayer 12

I assume the creature on the episode titlecard is a boar…?

I see…! So Kyogai uses the drums like a game controller! Y’know, like A = attack and directional keys to move.

I almost expected Inosuke to appear from behind the screen door, but it was just Tanjiro…

Huh? For some reason, I find Zenitsu funny now…but only the tiniest bit. Not enough to laugh out loud, but enough to give tiny “heh”s.

Well…that episode title didn’t lie, at least…

Ah-hah! I knew it! Knewwwwwwwww it! It’s the double-personality trope I liked 5 years ago (you see it embodied in Martin/Alter-Az). The only thing I didn’t know was how Zenitsu would become badass…well, now we know. He sleep fights…I still think ingesting blood to invoke a second personality is still way cooler though.

Shoichi? Is that the kid’s name?

“Marechi” doesn’t seem to mean anything…

“Show me your wounds.” Then again, there are some wounds that you can’t present to others…not unless you show the side effects.

As much as I was scared by Exposition Crow, I have to be thankful the little feathered buddy is around. I wouldn’t understand “marechi” otherwise. But seriously, where does that crow hide in his spare time…?

Oh…the duty of filial piety…I know your feel, Tanjiro.

Tanjiro’s brain!Zenitsu is so accurate, I LOLled…a tiny bit.

Tanjiro, you gotta remember: be proud of where you’ve gotten today! Don’t be the man you were yesterday! Keep evolving with the times like water itself, because that is what water is about – change! (triumphant music plays in the background to accompany this declaration)

The only problem I have with filial piety is…what happens when your family has only daughters???

OPM S2 Ep 11 (Ep 23)

Garou’s got a point in that villains are meant to be sympathetic in order to get a good story. However, I’d still root for the heroes all the same.

Naruto running…why’s it so popular???

“Mentsuyu” (on Saitama’s blue shirt) means “noodle soup base” = a mixture of dashi (soup stock), soy sauce, mirin and sugar.

It took me a replay to realise that Garou turned red when the tree fell down.

BSD 36

Uh, dude? Who calls their kid “Eruisu-chan”…? It’s Elise, isn’t it?

Katai – yet again, can I just say he is the husbando we need and not the husbando we want? (LOL) There’s even what appears to be a sake bottle in the bottom left corner…

Is there such thing as a bullet-proof futon???

Come to think of it, this scene with all the rubble about halfway through the episode looks like it comes from the Dead Apple first key visual –the one that came out when the movie was announced. Not the Shin Soukoku one, the other one with Soukoku in a rubble-filled place looking at the horizon.

Looking at Natsume-sensei from the back reveals his hair is calico-coloured too…

I wonder how much of Dazai’s scheming is actually just Natsume-sensei…?

“What did you have for dinner last night?” “Yeah.” – Just imagining this with a monotone instead of Akutagawa’s usual anger is hilarious!

Snakes don’t run…?

Oh, I get why he was calling Akutagawa “bro”! When you’re married, you call your brother in law “brother” as well!

Bungou Stray Dogs 37 (FINAL)

I discovered something – the kanji under ECHO, 回向, are read ekou. What do they mean? The verb form means “to hold a memorial service for [someone]”, so I’d assume it’s “memorial service”.

For some reason, when Atsushi said “you’re not paying for this ride!”, I thought, “It’s your Ubr driver here”…LOL.

I seem to remember that Goncharov controls rock and his power is The Precipice…but I don’t remember reading past ch. 52…

“How can you be so sure?” I thought it was something like “Because that’s what I would do.” Turns out I was right…maybe I have read chapter 53??? Or is this a previous chapter that’s been movd forward???

Hmm…come to think of it, why is Akutagawa’s power to control fabric anyway? (Because he can control other things, it’s just that he chooses to use his coat as a default.) Does the Rashomon story have to do with that…?

Oh, that’s cute. Shin Soukoku are on the same thinking wavelength now. (somewhat sarcastic)

Come to think of it – season 1 anime!Atsushi was about as whiny as Zenitsu…hmm. Now there’s a cross-anime comparison I never thought I’d make.

“…what appears to be a hiker…” (or maybe it was multiple hikers…?)

Did you notice Akutagawa was missing his coat?

“Fancy hat boy” – That’s why the fandom calls Chuuya “Mr Fancy Hat”, LOL.

One thing’s for sure – whether you like BSD or not, you gotta admit they have a great sense of closure.

Shield Hero 25 (FINAL)

See? There is a Meteor move for Naofumi!

Raphtalia’s mostly been saying nothing but “Naofumi-sama” over and over again…it kind of irks me. It’s too bad I’m almost finished with this show.

I’m gussing the reward has to do with Raphtalia’s village.

Is Naofumi leaving???

LOL, before Naofumi faced the Waves, he was wavering…geddit??? (Oh, that joke’s terrible…)

Fruits Basket 12

I think Shigure attended the ceremony to procrastinate on his writing…LOL.

Okay…I started this episode a few days back and now I hav a bowl of piping hot pho to go with it! Let’s get back to business!

Momiji is a scheming little brat, ain’t he?

The “Yuki wearing a girls’ uniform” was funny…because reactions.

Hmm…even though I know what’s going to happen, I only just realised Akito and Yuki only seem to wear traditional Japanese dress when tied down to their curse or their main house. Westrn cloths thereby symbolise progress for them…but you can’t say the same for Shigure, though, so there goes that hypothesis…

I thought for a second they were going to play baseball…that’s what they did in Star Driver.

Fruits Basket 13

Snake attack!!!

Hmm…Ayame clearly used a convo diversionary tactic there (avoiding the topic).

“Aya says he sells men’s dreams.” – LOL.

Demon Slayer 13

I find it interesting Tanjiro also has respect for his opponent, not just empathy.

Aww…this message of recognising your skills and having them be recognised by others is cute. I needd that, really – ever since about a year ago, sometimes I’m so negative I just want to be erased from the face of the earth. That’s why I love Rokuhoudou so much – it was my solace from such thoughts.

Seeing the eyecatch’s strip go vertical for Zenitsu was interesting – I didn’t think it would change orientation midway through the show.

Okay, in this book I read recently – Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin – the protagonist admits to having “an overdeveloped sense of theatricality”…or dramaticism or something like that. I now realised Zenitsu has that too…although now he’s back to bugging me as a result.

Oh! So Inosuke was the 5th survivor! I had a feeling that would be the answer, but now I’ve confirmed it.

WHOA! I’ve never seen Tanjiro go all Papa Bear like this!

…and you can tell with that pre-OP shot that Ufotable ran out of budget for once.

The Legend of the Eight Samurai is also known as…wait for it…Hakkenden! There’s an anime called that, y’know? Update: It’s Satomi Nansou Hakkenden vs Hakkenden (with some subtitle on it).

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts 1

First anime of summer! Now if only my CR would stop buffering so much…I’d be a happy person.

Oh…great. Fantasy information dump right here…just like Fairy Gone.

Is this weird that I recognise Patria to be…Korea? (At least in history. Its people seem to be generic Europeans.)

Is this a “dudes in war are scarred for life” thing again??? Please, please don’t let this be another Spec-Ops Asuka.

…and now here come the furries. (sarcastic)

Aren’t the white coats really impractical for battle???

If Cain isn’t a vampire or based on a bat…I dunno what I’d do, but I’m pretty sure he is, based on those pretty boy features.

I thought her name was Nancy…? Her name is Nancy Schaal Bancroft, after all.

Ooh! It’s the Abominable Walrus! I’m so scared~! (mocking tone)

This is basically an AI story, but fantasy-based, isn’t it…?

90s fire in the background…LOL.

“I’m going to ask Elaine to be with me.” – Now there’s something I didn’t think Hank would say.

LOL, Cain Madhouse really is mad! (in the Joker-style “insane” sort of way)

Well…uh, it was a bit predictable, but had its perks. I mean, there’s no CGI in it at all for one thing…I guess we wait for more (of this show and the debut of other shows) to see if it stays.

OPM S2 Ep 12 (Ep 24) (FINAL)

Shouldn’t that be “whale on an opponent”…?

What’s up with the montage, though???

*dead Centichoro* - Now that’s what I call “legs for miles”…! (LOL)

Astra 1

I’ve read some of the manga for this, so it’s my most anticipated anime this season! I can only hope it lives up to its own hype.

Double-length 1st episode! Ooh! Just like the manga’s double-length debut.

Okay, who decided on using CGI for Aries? Put it on the ship, not on her!

Oh, foreshadowing! Me likey.

I can’t really tell what Aries is meant to be screaming because she’s screaming over the woman, but it’s definitely not “beef” Aries is yelling.

Is it just me, or is there a frame around this scene at the Spaceport…?

I guess Aries is what they call a space case! (Wahaha!...Okay, I think that’s one stupid joke too many, now.)

Boob shot??? Why??? Also, according to the manga’s supplemental material found between chapters, Yun-Hua’s suit is newer than Aries’s (IIRC).

I definitely do not remember seeing a picture of Kanata’s sensei in the manga at all. I know Kanata refers to his sensei quite a bit, but…hmm…maybe the fact he looks like Charce means something. Update: For some reason, I remembered Charce as “Charles”…?

This scenery, with the ground making platforms in the air, looks like Dr Stone!!!

I just noticed the frame expanded after Kanata entered the sphere.

Did we need the flashback again???

Zetsubou is “despair”, at least from the way I learnt it – from Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei, of course. It can be translated as “hopeless” in context, though.

Second recap from earlier in the episode. Well, at least it’s not Detective Conan or Demon Slayer bad…

Wow, they’re really trying to sell a potential Kanata x Aries ship here. That wasn’t in the manga either.

This is the 3rd time for the same recap…geesh. The things you notice when the episodes are compiled and online for you to watch…they can get kind of annoying.

I think the star = planet thing makes more sense when in Japanese, since “hoshi” can mean both. In English, it makes Aries sound like more of a space case…

Maou-sama, Retry! 1

…and the award for Most Boring Opening in a While goes to…this show!

I almost expected blonde!Rem to be called Rem…I knew that her name wasn’t Rem, but still…

Seriously? The face game of this show should be higher for it to pull off a gag involving funny faces…

The run cycle of this show’s…kinda suckish. Like Dororo’s one scene where he’s Naruto running.

“It’s you who is the root of all evil.”

UchiMusume 1

Aka “If It’s For My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord”.

The language on the title card seems to be a substitute for English. If you just take that thing that looks like brackets as one symbol, that seems to be a Y. How can you tell? Because “little” matches the 3rd last word.

The devil language seems to be based on Japanese, though…at least from what I’m picking up. Update: Oh! So when she says “toilet”, it’s just the syllables backwards! Just like in Hataraku Maou-sama.

I swear, if this guy isn’t voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, I’m going to have to swallow my hydralyte drink properly! (I’ve been struggling to drink it all day today.) Update: Nope, it’s Nobuhiko Okamoto.

I thought I just read something on the devil list that said “Bobble Space” in English…wuh?

Dr Stone 1

This is my 2nd most anticipated debut of the summer 2019 season. Let’s go!

Ooh, I see Crunchyroll even got themselves a fancy new intro card…which makes them more like what Funimation used to be on that front…

I know people have been comparing Senku’s hair to green onions…and now I can’t unsee it. Dang it, you guys! That’s the first real thought I’m having for this anime?!

*raises arms like Christ the Redeemer*…and Boichi and Riichiro Inagaki said, “Let there be light!”…and for some reason, it was green light…

Hmm…I thought in the manga Yuzuriha was shoved to the tree, which made Taiju look more like a hero to her. Turns out she ran to the tree then got petrified, if the anime is anything to go by.

I heard a really accurate “what’s happening?” in the scene which is meant to have English speakers in it…it’s almost creepy, to be honest with you.

Shuei…LOL. It’s clearly a play on Shueisha.

I didn’t think of this when reading the manga, but this anime’s very much a Holmes and Watson scenario…although Watson here is a little bit too dumb for some people’s liking…

I swear TMS used pictures of the real thing when looking at those grapes…

I love seeing Senku being pissed off. He’s so smug all the time, I needed that change of pace.

Maybe one day Senku will make vodka…LOL. I’m kidding.

Fire Force 1

Oh geesh…so Ohkubo grabbed the Aria from Ao no Exorcist to make his nuns work???

Why is there Naruto running???

“I’m a newly-assigned…”

Kyoukai means church. Does it really mean “cathedral” as well???

“Is that the scent of a damp woman?” – Uh, duuuuuuuude? Excuse-moi? That is not how you treat a lady you’ve just met…!

Can I insert a “Twinkletoes” comment from Toph (Avatar) yet…?

Okay, scrap that. Can I do that Overwatch “Molten CORE!” thing instead…?

Granbelm 1

I started watching this because it’s being promoted as “magical girls drive mechs”.

One of the mech ladies reminds me of…what’s her name…from the Re:Zero LNs…I believe her name is Beatrice, but that’s the name of one of the library loli, isn’t it…? *Googles* Okay, her name is Priscilla. AFAIK, “Priscilla” is NOT the name of the orange-haired lady in Granbelm, though… Update: Her name is Anna, actually.

These mechs remind me of Kim from Twinkle Star Sprites.

Wow…ripoff purple iPhone, much…?

Shingetsu = new moon, mangetsu = full moon.

I feel like Mangetsu is a relatable protagonist, but also annoying as a result of being relatable.

“Pennies from heaven” is a phrase you say to declare your good fortune, much like you say “speak of the devil” for bad luck when it comes to a certain person who arrives at the wrong time.

2 notes · View notes

zakthefiend · 6 years

Text

A Feeling Remembered

((This fanfic is based off of my last headcannon on the subject: Peregrïn Death Knight AU. This will be in option 3: Perry being free from the Lich King and is now with Khadgar. There will be angst so be warned. Special thanks to @drew-winchester for personally making this for me. You are an amazing and the nicest person I’ve met so far, and I hope you and your followers enjoy!))

The fall of the Lich King has been achieved. In the final days, the heroes of Azeroth came together as one to rid the world of the cold icy grasp of Arthas. For many, the time had come to celebrate. However, not all were happy now, namely the Knights of the Ebon Blade.

Many knights had tried to reintegrate into mortal life. Many of these fallen races all joined their respective factions, and now serve their king/warchief. Others, remained on Ebon Hold, not believing they were or ever to be welcomed back after everything. Many of these now serve to keep the Scourge contained in Northrend and infected areas. Few decided to end their lives, as their was no longer a purpose to exist and/or couldn’t bare the maddening cries of the innocent that ringed in their minds. Fewer still had rejoined the scattered forces of the Scourge. Whispers speak of these knights now served a new master, but with no viable proof they are often merely seen as having gone mad.

This story follows a freed night elf named Peregrïn, who was in the company of her lover Khadgar. Khadgar does his best to help Perry with the burden of her new class. Meanwhile, Perry tries to rediscover her emotions. More so than gloom, anger, frustration, sulking, blank, etc.

Somewhere in the Eastern Kingdoms, secluded from many people, lied an average shack. Sitting on a chair outside was none other than the former druid herself, Peregrïn. She looked on the natural scenery, the sunset beamed onto her skin. She stared at a small flower in her hand, inspecting it’s vibrant colors and soft petals. Before, she could talk on and on about the flower in great details and gushing about how beautiful nature can be. Now, she saw it merely as a plant. She saw it only as something that is alive and wanted to be alive, even the sweet scent could not deter her conclusion.

She tosses it aside, and stared off into the distance. When there was nothing there of interest, she returned inside.

Inside the cabin, she is reminded of her past self. The collection of Elise Starseeker books that she only saw as something took up space... a lot of space actually. Her favorite doll, nothing more than a stitched up child’s plaything. Don’t get her wrong, she remembers how these items made her feel, how special they were to her. It’s a reason why she kept them. It’s mostly to remind her who she was before this...

Before she could brood, there was a knock on the door. She fell back to reality and opened the door to a bouquet of roses in her face. Her eyes widened in surprise, as behind those roses was a happy Khadgar. “Evening Perry! I’m sorry I came late, there was a problem with the Alliance and Horde about some territory. Anyways, how have you been?”

She blinked a few of times at the roses, and looked back at Khadgar, “Fine... what’s the occasion for these?”

“No reason, just thought you’d enjoy a little surprise.” After handing the flowers to her, he walks over to the kitchen to get a vase ready. “So what have you been up to today?”

“Reading, Gardening, nothing more.” She answered. Perry stared at these flowers with confusion. Here she held these flowers, no different than the other ones she’s seen today, and she felt something about them. She felt a warm tingly feeling in her chest, which only grew when she smelt them.

“...ry? erry? Perry?” Perry snapped out of it, darting her head to Khadgar now holding a vase half full of water. “Are you alright? I know death knights can’t get sick but you seem distracted.” Perry placed the flowers in the vase, and looked up at Khadgar. “Fine just... was looking at the roses. They’re lovely, thank you.”

Khadgar gave a bright smile, hearing that Perry enjoyed his gift. “No problem Perry, I’ll prepare dinner and wash up.”

That night Perry sat on the couch, wide awake, starring at the ceiling. She kept pondering on what made her feel so... happy? Was that what it felt like? It had been so long since she felt what happiness was, let alone what she felt today. Was it that intoxicating? Why did she only feel it when Khadgar... Khadgar... She started getting lost in her thoughts as she was reminded of all the things Khadgar had done for her over the years. The gifts, the dates, the marriage, she hadn’t notice a soft smile crept up her face.

She snapped out of it, and decided to do a little experiment to be really sure if her hunch is correct...

Perry sneaked into their room that night, and saw her sleeping husband. He looked so peaceful sleeping. She quietly and carefully moved to the bed, not wanting to make a sound to disturb him. It is very unfortunate that sneaking was NOT one of the abilities that she could do anymore. She kept causing creaking sounds from every wooden plank she stepped on. It was after the fifth one that Khadgar woke up.

“Who... Who’s there?” He asked groggily. Clearly being asleep before now.

Perry stood completely still and silent, thinking she could somehow not be noticed by him.

With a flick of the wrist, a small ball of light illuminated the room. It revealed everything in there. “Perry? What are you doing here?”

Perry stood there, as silent as the grave. She turned her head from Khadgar, not wanting to make eye contact with him. She has now rediscovered the feeling of embarrassment. “...Nothing.”

“...Really? Nothing at all?” Khadgar’s eyebrow raised, as he could still tell that Perry was still a terrible liar.

She sighed, giving in. “I wanted... to... lay in the same bed as you...” She rubbed her left arm, still not making eye contact with him. “The flowers today... I felt something nice, and I felt it more when I thought about all the time we spent together... so I thought-”

“Say no more.” Perry looks over to him from the sudden interruption, he held the blanket up for her. “C’mon, I missed my wife accompanying me into bed.” He invited.

She lays in the bed. The heat from her partner was astounding, but it was actually quite comforting. As the ball of light dimmed to darkness, she was being held close by Khadgar. Her lovers embrace began to have another smile to grow on her face again.

“Goodnight Perry, my one and only. I thank the lights everyday that I got you back in my life.”

Soon enough, she felt something falling off her face. It was tears. “Goodnight Khadgar, I love you, even in death I still love you.”

Khadgar buried his face in the back of her head, with his arms hugging Perry close to his chest, Peregrïn now was reminded what it felt like to be alive again. She may not be able to sleep with him, but she could at least enjoy how much she is loved by Khadgar. With him knowing that Perry still had a special place in her heart for her.

#drew-winchester #drew winchester #peregrïn #perry #khadgar #khadgrin #world of warcraft #wrath of the lich king #sad au #Death Knight #not my oc #ZakTheFiend #my writing #angstish #Still some fluff #night elf #nelf #poor perry

99 notes · View notes